Angels sign second-round pick Canning
ANAHEIM -- One day after signing first-round Draft pick Jo Adell, the Angels agreed to terms with second-round selection Griffin Canning, a right-hander from UCLA. The deal is for $1,459,200, the recommended bonus slot for the 47th overall pick.
Canning, 21, went 7-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 17 starts during his junior season for UCLA, leading the Pac-12 in innings (119) and strikeouts (140). A native of Coto de Caza, Calif., and a product of Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Canning grew up an Angels fan and said his favorite pitcher was former Halos closer Francisco Rodriguez.
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"I'm obviously pretty excited," Canning said. "I grew up coming to Angels games. My family had season tickets in 2002 when they won the World Series. I couldn't really ask for anything better."
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Canning had been projected to be taken in the middle of the first round, but his Draft stock fell after teams became aware of a potential issue with an MRI exam, according to MLBPipeline.com's Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo.
Still, Canning passed his physical on Thursday, and general manager Billy Eppler said the Angels were comfortable making the selection.
"We know that he's a very advanced college pitcher that has the opportunity to move pretty fast through our system," Eppler said.
With the exception of two games that were postponed due to rain, Canning averaged 116 pitches per start this year, according to Baseball America. Given his heavy workload at UCLA, the Angels do not feel that Canning needs to throw any more innings this year, so the plan is to send him to Arizona to work on conditioning for the next six months.
"He hit his quota," Eppler said. "He did exactly what he was supposed to do, but in a different uniform."
Canning will begin a throwing program in December and will likely open the 2018 season in Class A Burlington or Class A Advanced Inland Empire, Eppler said.
Shoemaker a 'long shot' to start Tuesday
Manager Mike Scioscia said Matthew Shoemaker's ailing forearm is improving, though he acknowledged that it's a "long shot" that the 30-year-old right-hander will make his next scheduled start on Tuesday. Shoemaker departed his outing against the Yankees on Wednesday with tightness in the extensor muscle of his right forearm and has not picked up a baseball since.
The Angels won't have to immediately fill the void in their rotation, as they have an off-day on Monday and could have the rest of their starters go on normal rest until Saturday. If Shoemaker lands on the disabled list, veteran right-hander Doug Fister would likely be in the mix to take his spot in the rotation. Fister, who was scheduled to start for Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, has a clause in his contract that allows him to be released if he's not on the Major League roster by June 21.
Worth noting
• Right-hander Cam Bedrosian (right groin strain) said he expects to be activated off the disabled list on Saturday.
• Eric Young and Danny Espinosa received a day off Friday against the Royals. Ben Revere and Cliff Pennington started in left field and at second base, respectively, in their places.