Angels Bag Another Moose After Learning of Off-Season Injury to Pitcher Joe Johnson

The Angels today own the unofficial major league record for most Mooses--two, as in pitcher Moose Haas and third-base coach Moose Stubing--and it’s all because of a mini-bombshell dropped on them by non-roster pitcher Joe Johnson.

Saturday, the Angels invited Haas to their spring training camp as an emergency replacement for Johnson, who sustained an Achilles’ tendon injury while running in the outfield Friday and was sent home to Plainville, Mass., for treatment.

But the real news came when the Angels learned that Johnson’s condition actually stemmed from an off-season injury, incurred while playing pickup basketball, which was never reported to the club.

According to the Angels, Johnson first hurt the tendon in November and spent two months in a cast that was removed three weeks ago. The club first learned of the injury when Johnson reported to camp.

Johnson was 11-11 with a 5.96 earned-run average at Edmonton last season, but the Angels were encouraged by the no-hitter he threw at the end of the season.