Angels News: Phil Nevin Not Making Excuses for Halos’ Poor Play

Something needs to change and fast!

Just a few weeks ago, the Los Angeles Angels were sitting pretty. They were on a roll and looked like they could finally make a push to the playoffs. Both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were carrying this team per usual and the other role players were doing their jobs. But fast forward a few weeks and things have gotten pretty grim for the Angels.

The team has lost 12 of their last 16 games and now faces a reality where they will be missing some of their best players due to injury. Trout will be out an extended amount of time, third baseman Anthony Rendon is hurt again, Ohtani is dealing with a blister issue so he can't pitch right now and so on. But manager Phil Nevin isn't making excuses for the poor play. 

“I’m not going to use the injuries (as an excuse),” he said. “We’ve just got to play better.”

Per The OC Register

Nevin has a point because it's always the next man up mentality but losing your top talent is rough. Before their big three went down, the team was also missing Brandon Drury, Zach Neto, Gio Urshela and Logan O’Hoppe.

At this point in the season, every game matters. The Angels are looking to stay in the race for a potential playoff spot but they need to start grabbing wins. If they don't, the ramifications won't just hurt this season.

Ohtani is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this season and many believe that he will leave the organization. Especially if they don't qualify for the postseason again. So the team has extra incentive to try and keep winning even if the odds are against them.

“We come out with urgency every single day,” Nevin said. “Yes, we’ve had injuries, but we’ve got to right the ship with what we have right now. We’re gonna get some bodies back soon, but we have plenty of capable players and men in that room to win baseball games. Take tomorrow off, get a strong finish in L.A. and get a start to the second half.”



Per The OC Register

The Angels head to Los Angeles for a brief two-game series with the Dodgers before the All-Star break. Maybe the break can give them a chance to rest up and get back on track. But something needs to change quickly for this franchise otherwise this season will be lost, just as previous ones before it have been.