3 LA Angels starting pitchers who will be negatively affected by the lockout

This MLB lockout seems to unfortunately still be going strong, and that does and is going to continue to have a strong impact on the LA Angels starting rotation.

There is going to be a lack of continuity in how the players and coaches are going to prepare, and continuity is the one thing ballplayers need the most in this pandemic world. It's something that they haven't had a ton of in a long time. In fact, the last time we had a shortened season, we saw a glimpse of how lost time can truly affect even the best players in this league.

There are three Angels in particular who are going to be affected most when it comes to this starting rotation. The rotation is already a major question on this roster, and this lockout is only going to make the situation worse. Unfortunately, the Angels are one of the teams affected by the lockout the most.

No. 3 LA Angels starting pitcher who will be negatively affected by the lockout: Patrick Sandoval

In 2020, Patrick Sandoval really struggled with the shortened season. He regressed from a 5.03 ERA pitcher to a 5.65 ERA pitcher. He went from posting a 4.59 FIP in 2019 to a 5.92 FIP in 2020.

Of course, Sandoval is a better pitcher since then, but a different schedule clearly had him regress from where he was during his full season. And it's not just that he's not only dealt with a pandemic year switching up his routine, but also an injury that he's coming off of. There are ways to work around the lockout when it comes to getting proper care for an injury, but his typical arm care program will be harder to get done with all these current restrictions.

No. 1 LA Angels starting pitcher who will be negatively affected by the lockout: Michael Lorenzen

New LA Angel Michael Lorenzen is also a pitcher who struggled in the shortened 2020 season where there was also an unconventional offseason. Again, ANY pitcher is going to face roadblocks when it comes to getting sharp on the mound and in shape. But also, two-way players are going to have an even tougher time following their routines while locked away from the team.

And it would potentially be easier for Lorenzen if he was pitching out of the bullpen next year, as he wouldn't need to get into starter shape in a ramped up offseason with less spring training if he was pitching out of the pen. However, it's been reported that Lorenzen will be starting despite him being much better out of the bullpen in his career.

So Lorenzen is changing teams after arguably the worst year of his career, and doing it in a lockout where he's also going to be starting on the mound as opposed to pitching to his strengths in the bullpen. He's doing all of this while needing to be in shape to pitch, hit, and play in the outfield. Sounds like it's not the greatest recipe for success.

The Angels are in a tough spot due to this lockout. If games begin to get cancelled, it's going to get even tougher. Everyone on this list (and everyone on the staff) needs to do everything they possibly can and more to get prepared for this year.