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Jo Adell hopes to help Angels sweep Cubs
Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels
- Since 2004, the first matchup between the Cubs and Angels, the Angels are 6-11 (.353) against the Cubs. That is the Angels' worst record against any opponent in that span.
- The Cubs started the season 7-2 (.778) against AL teams through April, the fifth-best record in the MLB in interleague games in that time. Since May, Chicago is 3-6 (.333) against teams from the AL, tied for the third-worst record in interleague games.
- Through 15 MLB appearances, Hayden Wesneski has allowed a .237 average against (68/287). That is the lowest opposing batting average through a Cub's first 15 games of his career since Mark Prior in 2002 (.209, minimum 300 batters faced).
- The Angels are hitting .306 in the third inning this season, the highest average in MLB in the third inning. It is the highest batting average for the Angels in any inning since 2012 (.311 in the first, .310 in the fourth).
- Tyler Anderson snapped a nine-game streak without recording a loss his last time out. Anderson has just one longer set of consecutive starts without a loss in his career: 11 straight from April to late June last season.
- Shohei Ohtani leads the Angels with 63 hits, 41 RBI and 15 home runs, joining Bo Bichette and Salvador Perez as the only players this season to lead their team in all three categories. Ohtani is trying to become the first Angel since Vladimir Guerrero to lead the team in all three categories in a season (three times: 2004, 2006, 2008).
Jo Adell is expected to start in right field on Thursday night when the Los Angeles Angels face the Chicago Cubs in Anaheim, Calif., with the hosts seeking a three-game sweep.
Adell was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday in what likely will be a short stint with the big-league team -- regular right fielder Hunter Renfroe should return in a few days from paternity leave. So Adell understands it's not a make-or-break opportunity, unlike his previous big-league experiences.
Adell was a first-round pick (10th overall selection) in 2017 but failed to live up to expectations after first breaking into the big leagues in 2020 at age 21.
He played in a career-high 88 games with the Angels last season but has been unable to solidify himself as a big-league player. In 161 career major league games, he is hitting .215 with 15 homers and a .616 OPS -- and he has struggled at times on defense.
Before his call-up on Wednesday, Adell had spent the entire season in Triple-A. However, he seems to have discovered a path to success this season. In 55 games with Salt Lake, he hit .278 with 18 homers, 43 RBIs and a .958 OPS.
"I think the big thing for me is that I've changed my idea of what getting beat is, and knowing there are certain pitches I'm not going to be able to hit and certain pitches I will be able to hit," Adell said. "There are certain parts of the plate where I do a good job hitting and I try to zone in on those (areas), and when those mistakes arrive, I'm ready. ...
"It's honestly more mental in the approach aspect than it is physically."
Angels manager Phil Nevin and his staff have monitored Adell's progress along the way.
"I'm sure that the time will come for Jo," Nevin said recently. "It's just how baseball works. But at the end of the day -- and I communicate that to him -- I'm proud of him, the work ethic and how he's doing things."
Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (0-5, 5.15 ERA) will make his 11th start of the season on Thursday. He has never faced the Cubs in his three major league seasons.
Fellow left-hander Drew Smyly (5-3, 3.56 ERA) will make his 13th start of the season for the Cubs. He is 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career games (six starts) against the Angels.
Cubs rookie first baseman Matt Mervis keeps receiving playing time despite a current slump. After going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Chicago's 6-2 loss to the Angels on Wednesday, he has one hit in his past 24 at-bats.
Mervis said the confidence the club is showing in him despite his struggles is helping him cope.
"The fact that I'm getting my opportunities and continuing to get at-bats when I'm going through this stretch is important for me," the first baseman said.
Mervis began the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he hit .286 with six homers, 27 RBIs and a .962 OPS in 24 games. In 22 games with the Cubs, he is batting .176 with two homers, nine RBIs and a .531 OPS.
--Field Level Media
Updated June 8, 2023
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