Angels' Michael Stefanic: Playing time dropping off
Rotowire
Stefanic will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Though he'll be included in the lineup in the series finale, Stefanic's playing time appears to be drying up after he previously started five and four consecutive games earlier this month. Stefanic has gone just 1-for-24 over his last seven contests and will likely continue to play second fiddle at the keystone to Brandon Drury.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Getting fourth straight start
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Stefanic will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Nationals, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Stefanic will pick up his fourth straight start, all of which have come against left-handed pitching. Though he's slashing .462/.500/.538 in eight games since being called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on July 30, Stefanic could be limited to a short-side platoon role in the infield now that Anthony Rendon has recently returned from the injured list.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Tallies three hits in Game 2
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Stefanic went 3-for-4 with a double and a run Wednesday in Game 2 of a doubleheader split with the Yankees.
Stefanic didn't get into Game 1, but he started the second contest at second base and logged his first three-hit game of the campaign. The infielder has three multi-hit performances over his past four games and has gone 7-for-13 (.538 average) during that span, though only one of those seven knocks went for extra bases. Despite his recent solid hitting and .304 average on the season, Stefanic may see less playing time with Anthony Rendon getting activated from the injured list Tuesday.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Likely to lose work with Rendon back
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Stefanic is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Yankees, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
Stefanic had occupied the keystone in four of the Angels' last five games, but his brief run of steady playing time will likely come to an end with the return of Anthony Rendon (back), who was activated from the injured list Tuesday. With Rendon starting at third base in the early game of Wednesday's doubleheader, Brandon Drury will shift from the hot corner to second base while bumping Stefanic back to the bench. The Angels should still have a regular spot in the lineup for Stefanic against left-handed pitching.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Gaining playing time at 2B
Rotowire
Stefanic will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Mets.
Stefanic has now drawn four starts in six games since he was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake. Three of those starts have come against left-handed pitching, but he could end up getting regular work versus righties if the Angels opt to shift Brandon Drury off the keystone and have him fill in at third base while Luis Rengifo (wrist) and Anthony Rendon (back) are on the injured list. Stefanic has recorded a pair of base hits in both of his past two starts, bringing his batting average up to .275 over 40 at-bats with the big club this season.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Back on big-league roster
Rotowire
The Angels recalled Stefanic from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.
He's taking the roster spot of the injured Anthony Rendon (back). Stefanic could see some action in the infield, especially if the Angels wind up trading Luis Rengifo.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Optioned to Salt Lake
Rotowire
The Angels optioned Stefanic to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.
Stefanic will be squeezed off the big-league roster Tuesday following the return of Miguel Sano (knee) from the injured list. The 28-year-old Stefanic has struggled to establish himself at the plate in 10 MLB games this season, going just 6-for-31 (.194) with four RBI, though he has been able to find success in the minors. He could be a candidate to return later this summer if the Angels run into any more problems with their infield depth.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Late addition to Friday's lineup
Rotowire
Stefanic is starting at second base and batting eighth in Friday's game against the Dodgers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Stefanic was inserted into Friday's lineup after Brandon Drury was scratched due to an illness. Since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on June 8, Stefanic has played in seven major-league games, going 6-for-22 with four RBI.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Getting look atop batting order
Rotowire
Stefanic will start at second base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Giants, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
The Giants are opening the game with a left-hander (Erik Miller) on the hill, so the right-handed-hitting Stefanic will displace the Angels' usual leadoff man -- the lefty-hitting Nolan Schanuel -- atop the lineup. Stefanic had started in two of the previous three games while batting ninth in the order on both occasions, and he could end up serving as the Angels' preferred option at second base until Brandon Drury (hamstring) returns from the injured list.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Called up by Halos
Rotowire
Stefanic was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.
Stefanic spent the first two months of the season on the injured list with a strained left quad but was activated in late May and assigned to Triple-A. At Salt Lake, he slashed .333/.431/.426 in 54 plate appearances and will now replace Kyren Paris on the Angels' active roster. Stefanic should mix in at second base until Brandon Drury (hamstring) returns from the IL.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Angels reinstated Stefanic (quad) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Stefanic has been on the injured list all season due to a left quad strain. He began playing rehab games at rookie ball May 13 and moved to Triple-A on May 21, going 9-for-19 with six RBI in six games with the Bees. He'll remain in Salt Lake despite being fully healthy, and Jose Cisnero (shoulder) will move to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Stefanic.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Stefanic (quadricep) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday, starting at second base and playing three innings while going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
On the mend from a left quad strain since late February, Stefanic has reached the final stage of his recovery program now that he's back playing in minor-league games. Since he's been out of commission for nearly two and a half months, Stefanic will presumably stick around in Arizona for a few more games before continuing his rehab at one of the Angels' higher-level affiliates. Once the Angels are confident that he's regained his timing at the plate and has put the quad injury in the rear-view mirror, Stefanic could return from the 60-day injured list around when he's first eligible in late May. He'll likely be ticketed for a utility role once he's reinstated, though Stefanic has a minor-league option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Salt Lake if the Angels don't have room for him on the big-league roster.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Moves to 60-day IL
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The Angels transferred Stefanic (quadriceps) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
A quad strain has kept Stefanic on the injured list since the beginning of the season, and his move to the 60-day IL pushes his eligible return date back to May 27. He's been fielding grounders and taking batting practice and has recently resumed a running program, though it's unclear how far away he is from beginning a rehab assignment.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Moving closer to return
Rotowire
Stefanic (quadriceps) has been taking ground balls and batting practice, and he is scheduled to resume his running progression Tuesday, per MLB.com.
Stefanic landed on the injured list March 28 after straining his left quad in his first Cactus League contest in late February. The 28-year-old's progress toward a return was slowed by a setback in mid-March, but he appears to be back on the road to recovery. Stefanic could feasibly be ready to resume game action by the end of April, though he will likely need a minor-league rehab assignment given that he logged only one plate appearance in spring training.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Resumes baseball activity
Rotowire
Stefanic (quadriceps) has resumed light baseball activity at the Angels' training complex in Arizona, MLB.com reports.
Stefanic landed on the injured list March 28 after feeling discomfort in his left quad during the Angels' first spring training game. He initially resumed running and baseball activity but suffered a setback in mid-March and subsequently underwent an MRI that revealed a quad strain. It's unclear how long Stefanic will be out of action, and there's no guarantee that he'll have a spot on the big-league roster once he's ready to return.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Lands on 10-day IL
Rotowire
The Angels placed Stefanic (quadricep) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Stefanic initially strained his left quad in late February and suffered a setback last week. It's not clear at this point how long the utility infielder might be sidelined.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Shut down following MRI
Rotowire
Stefanic has been shut down from baseball activities after an MRI on his left quad came back worse than expected, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Stefanic had an MRI after still feeling discomfort in the quad during a running drill and the test revealed the bad news. It's not clear how long this might set the infielder back, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season seems assured.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Making progress, return date TBD
Rotowire
Stefanic (quadricep) will take live batting practice and take part in running work Wednesday, but the Angels haven't provided a timeline for him to return to the Cactus League lineup, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Stefanic seems to be making good progress in his recovery from the left quad strain that cut short his first Cactus League start back on Feb. 24, but he still looks to be at least a few days away from being ready to return to game action. If Stefanic is able to shake off the injury prior to Opening Day, he could remain in the mix for a backup infield role to begin the season.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Resumes baseball activity
Rotowire
Stefanic (quadricep) was cleared to resume baseball activities Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Stefanic had been resting for the previous three days after he suffered a left quad strain in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers. Given the brevity of his shutdown period, Stefanic likely won't require too much time to get ramped back up, so he could rejoin the spring lineup within the next few days.
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Angels' Michael Stefanic: Exits with quad strain
Rotowire
Stefanic left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers early due to a left quad strain, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
The severity of Stefanic's injury is unknown, but the Angels will likely have more information following Saturday's contest. Stefanic slashed .290/.380/.355 across 71 plate appearances last season with Los Angeles and found consistent success in Triple-A as well, but his chances at making the big-league roster out of camp may take a significant hit if he's forced to miss a large portion of spring training.
