ANAHEIM — Nothing about infielder Donovan Walton’s previous major league stints suggested that he would be doing what he’s done lately with the Angels.
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Walton, 32, had played parts of six seasons with the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. His career batting average was .172 with a .521 OPS in 214 plate appearances.
In his first 78 plate appearances with the Angels, Walton has hit .338 with a .904 OPS.
The Angels signed Walton to a minor-league deal, based mostly on the fact that he hits left-handed and showed a knack for getting on base and putting the ball in play during his minor-league career. He hadn’t done that in the majors, though.
Walton said the Angels’ hitting coaches, at Triple-A and in the majors, helped him develop a better routine. The major league staff also made a tweak with his hands four weeks ago.
“We did it one time in Detroit and I was able to get a double, and ever since then it’s felt pretty good,” Walton said.
Walton had gone hitless in his first seven at-bats before that change. Since then, he’s been consistently productive, including extra-base hits in six straight starts through Sunday. He had a hit on Monday, but it was only a single.
Walton doesn’t look too deeply into why this is happening now, as opposed to all of those other times when he was in the majors.
“Everybody’s got their own story, you know,” Walton said. “God has a a plan for everybody, and sometimes you wonder why is this happening, why is that happening, but I’ve come to peace with it and been able to just stay present. Whatever opportunity is given to me, just go out there and enjoy it and see what happens.”
While it’s still too early to call this a breakout for Walton, he is nonetheless another name added to the list of hitters who have been surprisingly productive for the Angels. The group includes Oswald Peraza, Vaughn Grissom and Wade Meckler. All had hit poorly in their previous major league stints.
Now, they’ve given Manager Kurt Suzuki some difficult decisions with his lineup each day.
On Monday, Christian Moore was on the bench. On Tuesday, Walton, Meckler and third baseman Denzer Guzman were all on the bench.
“It’s very tough,” Suzuki said. “You try to get guys in. You don’t want guys to get stale and sit on the bench too long. I think it’s just a constant communication with the players. I think that’s the one thing that players can appreciate, whether they want to hear what you have to say or not. Just the communication of what’s going on, what the plan is going forward, I think they can respect that.”
TROUT UPDATE
Center fielder Mike Trout, who is out with a hamstring injury, was on the field doing some agility drills before Tuesday’s game.
“He’s progressing,” Suzuki said. “We still don’t know the timetable, but I think the activity level is ramping up a little bit. I know he’s starting to feel better, so that’s a good thing.”
The three-time American League MVP is currently tracking to be selected for the All-Star Game, which will be in Philadelphia on July 14.
NOTES
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (back) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. “I talked to (physical therapist Rolando Rodriguez) and velocity-wise, he said it looked really good,” Suzuki said. “Just talking to Grayson yesterday, he said he’s feeling better and everything’s kind of going on schedule, as planned. So that’s a good thing.” …
Infielder Adam Frazier (elbow) has been hitting and he’s scheduled to start throwing on Wednesday. Frazier said he thinks he’ll be out another two weeks. …
Catcher Juan Flores was promoted to Double-A after hitting .275 with an .880 OPS at Class-A. Flores, 20, is one of the Angels’ top prospects. “The defensive part, I never had any doubts about,” Suzuki said. “The bat, there was some power, but he’s starting to put together good at-bats, quality at-bats. He’s hitting for a better average now. I think Flo is a special talent.”
UP NEXT
Orioles (RHP Trey Gibson, 1-2, 5.81 ERA) at Angels (RHP José Soriano, 8-4, 3.03 ERA), Wednesday, 1:07 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM
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