Angels still waiting for Brandon Wood to deliver
It may have been Mike Scioscia’s harshest — and most candid — assessment of a player in years.
The Angels manager was asked Friday if the organization’s evaluation of Brandon Wood has changed in light of the young infielder’s continued struggles at the plate and some recent defensive woes.
“We’re seeing Brandon at his absolute worst, a kid whose confidence is very low right now,” Scioscia said. “I don’t know if you could have scripted a tougher start for a youngster trying to get his feet on the ground in the major leagues.
“Guys who have seen him for the last five years in the minor leagues have always seen a kid who has responded to challenges, who has a lot of confidence and has eventually made adjustments to advance to another level.”
Wood for years was considered the organization’s top position-playing prospect, a solid defender at shortstop and third base with 25-homer potential in the big leagues.
But after opening the season at third base, Wood hit .156 and appeared overmatched much of the time before going on the disabled list in late May.
He replaced the injured Erick Aybar at shortstop June 16 and hit .304 (seven for 23) in seven games to raise his average to .176 entering Friday.
But Wood still has 44 strikeouts and three walks in 148 at-bats, with two homers and eight RBIs, and some problems with his footwork have led to several bad throws from shortstop this week.
With Aybar set to return Saturday night and third baseman Kevin Frandsen hitting .354 entering Friday, Wood will move to a utility role this weekend.
The Angels, however, do not appear to have given up on Wood.
“We’re talking about 150 at-bats,” Scioscia said. “Before this, he had [224] at-bats spread [over three years]. I think our evaluation of Brandon’s potential has not changed. I think the tough part is in the position our team is in — we’re in an achievement mode.
“We need guys to contribute. Brandon knows this, and he’s just going to have to deal with it and keep going forward and hopefully be part of that group that’s going to get us where we hope to be.”
Aybar returns
Aybar, sidelined since June 15 because of cartilage damage in his left knee, came in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, drew a walk, and stayed in the game at shortstop. Scioscia said he will be in the lineup Saturday, but probably not in the leadoff spot.
“He hasn’t seen live pitching in 10 days,” Scioscia said. “You might want to put him in a position where he can concentrate on defense and not worry about setting the table at the level he was.”
Scioscia made it clear that Frandsen, a utility player, would remain at third, at least until Maicer Izturis comes off the disabled list. “There’s no doubt he’s opened some eyes around here,” Scioscia said of Frandsen.
Role play
Young players often struggle to adjust to utility roles, but Wood, who can also play first base, will have no choice but to accept it.
“How he handles it … I don’t think that’s an issue we’re worrying about right now,” Scioscia said. “I don’t think he’s going to not produce because he’s moving around. If he’s finding his swing, whether he’s playing third, first or short is not going to be an issue.”
Short hops
Reliever Jason Bulger (shoulder strain) threw off the mound Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list June 12. … Center fielder Torii Hunter made his second start of the season at designated hitter Friday night.
Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
