PITTSBURGH – The old baseball adage is to try to control what you can control. This game presents plenty of curveballs, so it’s best to remember where your feet are.
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In Vaughn Grissom’s case, one of those quirks is knowing he has been traded for a Cy Young winner. In December of 2023, the Braves sent the infielder to the Red Sox for Chris Sale, who regained form and won the game’s top pitching honor in Atlanta the following season.
“I’ve basically just got to be a Hall of Famer now,” Grissom joked in the PNC Park visitor’s clubhouse ahead of the Angels’ game with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. “… I know I got traded for him and he’s a tremendous player, but I can only control what I can control.”
The deal that sent Grissom to the Angels this winter was lower profile – prospect Isaiah Jackson went to Boston for the infielder – but he has found more success with his new club, becoming a regular and entering Sunday with a .702 OPS and 59 RBIs. It’s been a step forward for the 25-year-old after he appeared in just 31 Major League games in his two years in the Red Sox organization.
On Monday, he and the Angels will begin a three-game set against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. While it might not be a traditional homecoming, a return still has some appeal.
“I’ve got a lot of good friends and old staff over there, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them,” Grissom said.
Grissom is still developing as a player, so he is not exactly the same player he was the last time he stepped on Fenway Park’s dirt. This week could be a chance to showcase that growth.
“I’m proud of how I go about my business every day,” Grissom said. “We’re always trying to work on things and get better at every aspect of the game, day in and day out.”
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PARIS TO GET LOOK SOON
Kyren Paris was one of the hottest hitters in the Angels’ farm system whenever he was recalled back to the Majors as part of the expanded September rosters, but the utility player has yet to make a start since returning. Entering Sunday, he had only appeared as a pinch-runner in Friday’s game.
That should change soon, especially if the right-handed hitter has the platoon advantage.
“I had a good talk with him yesterday,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He’s staying ready. He’s always ready to go, which is something that’s special and (I) appreciate as a manager. We’ve got four lefties, I believe, in a row. So I told him be patient, we’ll get you in there.”
NOTES
Mike Trout returned to the lineup Sunday as the designated hitter. He was removed in the ninth inning Saturday after being hit in the hand with a pitch, which warranted an x-ray postgame. …
Right-hander Shaun Anderson signed a Minor League contract with the Angels on Friday. He opted for free agency after being outrighted on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 4-6, 6.03) at Red Sox (TBA), Monday, 10:35 a.m., ABTV, 830 AM