Angels Just Need to Stay Healthy And… Oops

By KURT HELIN

Updated 2:02 PM PDT, Fri, Jul 10, 2009

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After a half of a season where the Angels just could not get all their key players on the field at one time, they are still just half a game out of first place. Now, all they need to do is stay healthy and….

Well, so much for that plan.

Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter were placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday after both underwent MRI exams. Guerrero for a strained muscle behind the knee had surgery on this past off-season, Hunter for a strained abductor muscle in his groin (which just sounds like something you don’t want to strain). The two of them missed some key games in the recent series against Texas, the team the Angels are trying to catch in the American League West.

Hunter will now miss the All Star Game Tuesday in St. Louis.

He was going to the game because he has been the Angels most dominant hitter this season — he is hitting a career best .305 and leads the Angels in home runs (17), RBIs (65) and slugging percentage (.558).

Injuries have kept an Angels in the starters blocks rather than running away with the division as was predicted by everyone back in February and March. And the biggest problems are in the starting pitching staff, which has yet to be settled this season. Right now, Dustin Moseley is out until likely late July, Kelvim Escobar’s shoulder will keep him off the pitching mound for at least another month, and Shane Loux is at least in the minors on a rehab assignment.

Even the guys who are healthy, like Ervin Santana and John Lackey, are not looking right. Anybody not named Weaver or Fuentes on the Angels pitching staff feels suspect right now, even if they are healthy.

Still, you just get the feeling that if they can hang around this month while everybody gets healthy, in August they can pull away as we expected. Of course, we were saying that same thing in April.