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3 Angels players who could return when rosters expand in September and 2 who won't

The Los Angeles Angels have the ability to add two players to their active roster when September arrives.

By Zachary Rotman |
Los Angeles Angels v Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Angels v Colorado Rockies / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages
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The Los Angeles Angels are a team trying to cling to their last hope for the postseason. They're currently 10.5 games back with odds of less than 1% to get in according to FanGraphs, but even as they continue to fall, the Angels hope that with reinforcements coming, they'll have enough to make a late unlikely push.

When the calendar finally turns to September and the Angels can turn the page on this awful month of August, they'll be able to add two players to the fold as rosters expand from 26 to 28 players. Once upon a time rosters in September could consist of the entire 40-man roster, but now they only increase by two, making decisions tougher.

Here are three players who were already on the roster this season that could return to the Angels roster in September with two others who will not.

1) LA Angels pitcher Kolton Ingram could return when rosters expand in September

This one might be a bit controversial. Angels fans did not get the best introduction to Kolton Ingram as they point to his MLB debut as the turning point of this season. The Angels had a huge lead in Kansas City against one of the worst teams in baseball at that point, and Ingram struggled in his MLB debut, allowing the Royals to get back into the game and eventually win.

Ingram allowed three runs while recording just one out in his MLB debut. What was an 8-2 Angels lead became 8-5, and then the Halos wound up blowing it. I personally don't give Ingram much blame for that loss considering they still had a three-run lead, but I digress.

The southpaw looked better in his second MLB appearance as he allowed one run while completing two innings of work against the Rockies at Coors Field. He also struck out three in that outing.

Ingram is an arm we will see again, even if it's not this season. I think he deserves another look in September. He's been one of the best relievers in the Angels upper minors all season long, posting a 2.63 ERA in 23 appearances with AA Rocket City, and a 3.62 ERA in 17 appearances with AAA Salt Lake.

With many Angels relievers set to hit free agency including left-handers Matt Moore and Aaron Loup, giving Ingram a look as a potential option from the left side in 2024 would be smart. If he pitches well, that's one fewer reliever the Angels will have to sign.

2) LA Angels outfielder Jordyn Adams will not return when rosters expand in September

Jordyn Adams got called up surprisingly by the Angels in the beginning of August to primarily serve as the team's fourth outfielder. Adams was in the midst of a breakout year offensively in the minors, but is a guy known more for his glove and his legs.

Unfortunately, in his short MLB stint, Adams showed that he was simply not ready at all. Defensively he was a mess. He took some ugly routes to balls in his MLB debut in Atlanta, and his last game against the Rays was particularly ugly. His error opened the floodgates for Tampa Bay to turn what was a close game into more of a rout. He committed two errors in just ten appearances.

Adams had been having a breakout year in the minors which earned him the opportunity to get some at-bats as well. He made three starts out of his ten appearances and racked up 14 at-bats total. He had two hits (both singles) while striking out six times.

Adams could be a player the Angels call upon in 2024 at some point, but he didn't show much of anything positive during his first cup of coffee in the majors.

3) LA Angels reliever Andrew Wantz could return when rosters expand in September

When rosters expand, the Angels will likely use at least one of the two open spots to promote a reliever. They've already DFA'd two relievers from their 40-man roster, so options are more limited.

The Angels can decide between Jose Marte, Jimmy Herget, Victor Mederos, Ingram, Gerardo Reyes, Kenny Rosenberg, and Andrew Wantz among players on the 40-man roster. To me, the most appealing out of that group is Wantz.

I know he had his struggles this season, particularly after he was sent down the first time, but I still think there's something there. He had a 3.22 ERA in 42 appearances last season, and prior to getting sent down the first time he hadn't allowed an earned run in his first five innings.

Wantz has had a bit of a rocky tenure in the minors this season, but in his last ten appearances he has a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings of work. The 13 strikeouts in those innings are encouraging, although nine walks are tough to ignore.

The Angels don't have a perfect solution as to which reliever should come up. Ingram offers the most when it comes to the future of this team while Wantz is probably the best option for the present. I wouldn't be surprised to see both come up at some point.

4) LA Angels infielder David Fletcher will not return when rosters expand in September

This one is tough to write because David Fletcher deserves a roster spot. The Angels have been rostering Andrew Velazquez for almost two months straight now despite him not proving to be worthy of a spot at all. We know he can't hit, and he's taken a huge step back defensively.

David Fletcher isn't necessarily a player I have trust in as a starter long-term or anything, but I do know he's a better baseball player than Velazquez. He can put the ball in play a lot more, and is more reliable defensively.

He hasn't hit much at the MLB level outside of his breakout 2020 season, but he's slashing .338/.390/.424 in AAA Salt Lake with three home runs and 34 RBI. He doesn't have much pop, but there is something to be said about a guy who can at least put up a fight at the dish and try to make something happen.

Fletcher isn't the runner Velazquez is, but he's better in just about every facet of the game. A big reason he's down could be the fact that he's very close to completing five years of service, and if he does reach that mark, he could refuse an outright assignment and hit free agency. Rather than risk paying him to play elsewhere, the Angels have been keeping him in the minors. This, and the fact that he's not on the 40-man makes me think he won't be back.

5) LA Angels outfielder Brett Phillips could return when rosters expand in September

Brett Phillips began the year on the Angels Opening Day roster and played out almost two months on the roster before being DFA'd in late-May. Phillips was brought in to fill one very particular role, and he did so well. He was asked to be the fourth outfielder. He'd rarely come up to the plate or even start a game, but he'd defend and run. Basically what Adams was brought up to do.

Phillips appeared in 19 games for the Angels and had just 16 plate appearances. He recorded one measly hit in 13 at-bats. Not great. He did however draw three walks and steal three bases while playing really strong defense.

The Angels would be bringing Phillips up to play the exact same role. With the way their roster is right now, they should have Randal Grichuk in left, Mickey Moniak in center, and Hunter Renfroe in right virtually every day.

With all of the injuries the Angels are dealing with right now, mainly with Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Jo Adell on the IL, those are the only three legitimate outfielders on the roster. Trey Cabbage has played in the outfield but he's more of a first baseman. A guy like Luis Rengifo has played some outfield as well, but he's primarily an infielder.

A Philips promotion wouldn't be exciting. He wouldn't add much to the team outside of his speed and defense, but having a real fourth outfielder could be something the Angels decide to do.

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