The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ended their season with many of their Opening Day starters on the Disabled List. With the season ending early for the Angels, the walking wounded could begin the healing process that unfortunately sidelined many of the players early.
Most notable injuries include Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano, who both underwent Tommy John Surgery to repair UCL tears in their elbows, and are expected to start the 2017 season on the Disable List.
Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron both recently underwent surgery for a core injury and debridement of the thumb, respectively. Both were given a timetable of a 6-8-week recovery period, which would ensure they were ready before Spring Training.
Garrett Richards is recovering from a UCL tear and is responding well to stem-cell injection treatment. He could avoid Tommy John Surgery and has thrown multiple fall instructional games with no issues. Richards should be ready by Spring Training.
Cam Bedrosian was shut down at the end of the season due to a blood clot in his arm. Barring no setbacks, he will be ready at the start of the spring.
Matt Shoemaker suffered a skull fracture after being struck in the head by a line drive and underwent surgery to alleviate bleeding in the brain at the end of the season. He is expected to be ready at the start of Spring Training if everything goes as planned.
Injuries plagued the Angels this past season and played a large role in the overall outcome. The more players that got hurt the more experimenting management had to do in order to field the best possible team. If everything goes as planned, it is hoped the Angels should only be missing Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano on Opening Day in 2017.