The Angels have placed six players on the 15-day D.L. to start the 2011 season. Starting 1B Kendrys Morales will start the season on the D.L. as he has been slow to recover from left ankle surgery that he had last year. He also has soreness in his left big toe which has caused him to not be able to do to much in spring training. Rookie Mark Trumbo will replace Morales in the starting lineup until he’s ready to return to action. Righty starting pitcher Joel Pineiro will start the 2011 season on the D.L. due to right shoulder tightness. He will only likely miss a start or two as long as he doesn’t have a setback. Lefty reliever Scott Downs was placed on the D.L. due to a left broken big toe. With Hisanori Takahashi will take over as the Angels’ top lefty in the pen until Downs is ready to return to action. Outfielder Reggie Willits will start the year on the D.L. with a left calf strain. This hurts the Angels as Willits can play everywhere in the outfield. Infielder Freddy Sandoval wasn’t likely going to make the Angels anyway but he starts the year on the D.L. with a left oblique strain. He will likely get sent to the minors after he gets healthy. Righty reliever Bobby Cassevah has a case of right shoulder inflammation which is the reason that he will start the year on the D.L. Like Sandoval, Cassevah will likely start his season in the minors when he returns to health.

The Kansas City Royals have returned 23-year old lefty reliever Robert Fish to the Angels. He was picked by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter. Fish pitched in 49 games (0 starts) in A+AA-ball last year and he was 5-5 with 2 saves, a 6.79 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP. Fish has now pitched in 126 games (58 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 20-20 with 2 saves, a 5.05 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. The Angels are glad to get Fish back.

52-year old manager Mike Scioscia is going to try to get his troops to rebound in 2011 after finishing last year with a 80-82 (49.4%) record. The Angels are 980-802 (55%) during the regular season in Scioscia’s first 11 years in charge. They are also 21-24 (46.7%) during the post season under Scioscia’s watch. Scioscia led the Angels to a World Series Championship back in 2002. Look for Scioscia to get the Angels back to their aggressive style on the basepaths and in the field in general in 2011.

The Los Angeles Angels have a pretty good mix of youth and experience in the pen for 2011. 35-year old righty Fernando Rodney will be the closer when the 2011 begins. He pitched in 72 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 4-3 with 14 saves, a 4.24 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. Rodney has now pitched in 380 games (0 starts) in his first 8 years in the majors and he is 19-33 with 84 saves, a 4.27 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Rodney doesn’t have a lock on the closer’s job though so he will have to produce when called upon to keep his gig.

23-year old righty Jordan Walden comes into this year as the Angels’ #5 prospect according to Baseball America. Walden pitched in 16 games (0 starts) for the Angels in his first taste of the majors last year and he was 0-1 with 1 save, a 2.35 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He had 23 whiffs in only 15 1/3 innings for the Angels last year but he also walked 7 batters which is a little too many. He will likely be first in line to replace Rodney at closer if he has any issues. Walden also pitched in 44 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 1-1 with 8 saves, a 3.44 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.

35-year old lefty Scott Downs will start the season on the D.L. with a broken toe, but he will have a big role at the back end of the pen when he gets healthy. Downs pitched in 67 games (0 starts) for the Blue Jays last year and he was 5-5 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has now pitched in 379 games (50 starts) in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 27-28 with 16 saves, a 3.79 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.

35-year old lefty Hisanori Takahashi could serve as the long man in the pen, a spot starter or he could work in short relief for the Angels in 2011. Takahashi pitched in 53 games (12 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 10-6 with 8 saves, a 3.61 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Takahashi had 114 whiffs in his 122 innings last year which shows what kind of stuff he has. He will have a big role in some capacity with the Angels in 2011.

26-year old righty Kevin Jepsen still has a big time arm. He pitched in 68 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Jepsen has now pitched in 131 games (0 starts) in his first three years with the Angels and he is 8-9 with 1 save, a 4.43 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. He will likely be working in the early and middle innings for the Angels this year.

26-year old righty Michael Kohn comes into this year as the Angels’ #15 prospect heading into this year according to Baseball America. Kohn pitched in 24 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 2-0 with 1 save, a 2.11 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He whiffed 20 batters in 21 1/3 innings for the Angels last year but he also walked 16 batters which is way too many. Kohn also pitched in 41 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 5-4 with 11 saves, a 2.15 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

32-year old righty Jason Bulger is still around. He pitched in 25 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 0-0 with a 4.88 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Bulger has now pitched in 111 games (0 starts) in his first five years with the Angels and he is 6-1 with 1 save, a 4.51 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He has 122 whiffs in only 113 1/3 innings for the Angels but he has walked 60 batters which is way too many.

29-year old righty Francisco Rodriguez pitched in 43 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-3 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He has good stuff but he was a tad wild last year as he walked 26 batters in only 47 1/3 innings. He will need to improve his control if he wants to pitch for the Angels in 2011.

27-year old righty Rich Thompson might wind up being a late bloomer for the Angels. He pitched in 13 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. Thompson has now pitched in 35 games (0 starts) in his first four years with the Angels and he is 2-0 with a 5.10 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.

25-year old righty Bobby Cassevah comes into this year as the Angels’ #24 rated prospect according to Baseball America. He pitched in 16 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. Cassevah also pitched in 45 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-4 with 5 saves, a 4.27 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ANGELS BULLPEN IN 2011: C+

35-year old righty swinging Torii Hunter will be making the full time switch to RF in 2011. Hunter played in 152 games for the Angels last year and he was 161 of 573 (.281 avg, .819 OPS) with 76 runs scored, 23 homers, 90 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Hunter’s bat still has quite a bit of sting in it. Hunter had 2 errors and 2 assists in 46 games in RF last season in which he showed outstanding range. Hunter is likely going to be one of the Angels best all-around players in 2011.

29-year old Reggie Willits and 37-year old switch hitting Bobby Abreu will back up Hunter in RF in 2011. Willits played in 8 games in RF last year where he showed outstanding range but he had 1 error and 1 assist there. Abreu played in 93 games in RF for the Angels last year and he had 6 errors and 6 assists while showing poor range. That’s why he’s moving to DH in 2011.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ANGELS RF IN 2011: B+