Angels post lineup for exhibition opener against White Sox
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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Joel Pineiro, the former St. Louis Cardinals right-hander who signed a two-year, $16-million deal with the Angels this winter, will start Thursday’s 2 p.m. PST exhibition opener against the Chicago White Sox in Tempe Diablo Stadium. Shortstop Erick Aybar will bat leadoff.
[Updated 10:02 a.m.: The game will be televised on Fox Sports West.]
The Angels’ lineup:
SS Erick Aybar
RF Bobby Abreu
CF Torii Hunter
LF Juan Rivera
DH Maicer Izturis
2B Howie Kendrick
C Mike Napoli
3B Brandon Wood
1B Robb Quinlan
P Joel Pineiro
In other news, reliever Kevin Jepsen threw off a mound Wednesday for the first time this spring, a 30-pitch bullpen session in which the right-hander threw all fastballs.
The Angels have put Jepsen, who threw a career-high 54 2/3 innings last season and experienced shoulder tendinitis in September, right-hander Scot Shields, who is recovering from knee surgery, and right-hander Fernando Rodney, who reported to camp with sore shins, on a slower track this spring.
‘Everything felt really good,’ said Jepsen, who emerged as a late-inning force last season, going 6-4 with a 4.94 earned run average in 54 games. ‘I didn’t really get on it at all. My mechanics were good. I’m not even sore today.’
-- Mike DiGiovanna