Nava, Rasmus join crowded Angels disabled list

LOS ANGELES — The Angels’ disabled list grew to nine players on Tuesday, with left fielder Daniel Nava and long reliever Cory Rasmus each nursing groin strains that will keep them out a couple of weeks.

Outfielder Rafael Ortega and reliever A.J. Achter were called up to replace them, bringing more turmoil to a Triple-A Salt Lake roster that is feeling aftershocks from the Angels’ rash of injuries.

“It’s a revolving door out there,” Achter said Tuesday, five days after being sent down to Triple-A for the second time this season. “There’s no real continuity because of the injuries up here.”

The Angels’ Major League DL doesn’t include Tyler Skaggs, who was optioned to Triple-A to begin the season. It does include three other starting pitchers (Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson), two left fielders (Nava and Craig Gentry), one shortstop (Andrelton Simmons), one utility infielder (Cliff Pennington), one closer (Huston Street) and one long reliever (Rasmus).

The Angels have used 35 players, fewer than only the Rangers (36) and Twins (37) in the American League, and they’ve had six players land on the shelf since the start of May.

The Salt Lake Bees have noticed.

They had a bullpen game on Friday, started by reliever Chris O’Grady, and had to start outfielder Todd Cunningham at third base and third baseman Kaleb Cowart at shortstop. The Bees then flew to Colorado Springs the next day and endured an 18-inning game, forcing outfielder Quintin Berry to get on the mound and throw 41-mph eephus pitches.

“It was nuts,” Achter said, “especially in Colorado Springs, where the ball flies all over the place. It’s not the best place to pitch.”

Rasmus tweaked his right groin when he last pitched on Thursday and …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com