The Los Angeles Angels enter play Monday very much in the postseason picture. They're just a half-game off the pace of the Houston Astros for the second AL Wild Card spot and have a handful of games remaining with which to climb the standings.
And yet, they enter this final week with some injury concerns. Not only did closer Huston Street suffer a significant groin injury on Saturday night, but Jered Weaver left his start on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners after five innings and just 71 pitches due to shoulder discomfort.
While Weaver told Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register that the shoulder issue wasn't anything new and that he's had it "for about nine years", it forced him out of the game early after a chat with manager Mike Scioscia. "I told him it wasn't really getting any better," Weaver explained to Fletcher. "He wanted to go to the bullpen. I couldn't do anything about it. It was frustrating, but we won. That's what's most important."
Fletcher noted that right-hander Matt Shoemaker is also still dealing with a forearm strain that nixed his scheduled start on Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics.
The Halos could be in for an intriguing final week, with Street and reliever Joe Smith both sidelined and Weaver and Shoemaker dealing with issues of their own.
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