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TEMPE Ender Inciarte Jersey , Ariz. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels seem intent on cornering the market on two-way players.Shohei Ohtani won AL Rookie of the Year last season as a pitcher and designated hitter. Now they’re taking a look at Jared Walsh, a combination left-handed reliever-first baseman-outfielder.“I’m just trying to keep it simple,” said Walsh, a non-roster invitee to the Angels’ camp. “Just hit, just pitch and have fun, be a baseball player, really.”Manager Brad Ausmus saw Walsh’s versatility firsthand last season in a minor league game. Ausmus, then a special assistant to Angels general manager Billy Eppler, was watching the Triple-A Salt Lake team. Walsh started at first base, then came in to get the final out to close the game http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-ramirez-jersey , which was one of the left-hander’s four pitching appearances for the minor league team.“I got lucky,” Walsh said of his outing. “I hung a curveball and the guy popped it up to center and didn’t hit it in the trees.”He had started as a two-way player in college at Georgia and the Angels talked to him in September about continuing his double duty this spring. Walsh jumped at the chance.Ohtani, currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, is a starter, while Walsh pitches in relief so the workload will be different.“He’s a front-line starter and I’m certainly not that,” Walsh said. “I don’t have any blueprint per se because I’ve never done this before. I think the demands on him were more taxing than me for sure.“He’s the trendsetter,” Walsh said. “I’m just following his lead.”The plan, Ausmus said, is to have Walsh pitch, play first base and get some work in the outfield as well this spring.“We feel he has a chance to do both at the major league level Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey , especially with the season he had offensively,” Ausmus said. “It’ll be a balance and a little easier balance because it’s a relief role, especially in spring training where everything is kind of controlled but he’s going to do both.”Walsh batted .277 with 29 home runs and 99 RBIs at three different minor league levels combined last season, including a .270 average at Salt Lake.Both Ausmus and Walsh expect to see more teams develop players who can multi-task.“Not everybody is going to be as good as Ohtani,” Walsh said, “but if you can get value out of a player who can do both, I mean, he might not be a Cy Young award winner or a triple crown winner but at the same time you’re getting value out of the player. I definitely think as long as they can come up with a good plan to keep the players healthy, it’s something we’ll see more of in the future.”The Rays have minor leaguer Brendan McKay, who reached the high Class A level as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher. Matt Davidson http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-sean-newcomb-jersey , now with the Rangers, also was considering doing both.“Usually you talk about versatility in terms of playing a bunch of different positions,” Ausmus said. “Now, if you can play positions and pitch, now it’s the ultimate versatility.”Walsh is willing to try.“I don’t think I’m any sort of a trailblazer,” Walsh said. “I think if you can get value out of a player who can do a little bit of both, why not give it a try?” The Oakland Athletics are firmly locked into an American League wild-card spot heading into the final weekend of the regular season, and they have a slight chance of hosting the one-game playoff if they can sweep the Los Angeles Angels.The series begins Friday night at Angel Stadium, and the A’s sit two games back of the Yankees for the top wild-card spot in the AL.New York (98-61) and Oakland (96-63) split the six games this season, but the Yankees own the second tiebreaker by virtue of a better intra-division record.Article continues below ...New York closes out the season with a three-game series at the AL West-leading Boston Red Sox. One victory by the Yankees this weekend will lock up home-field advantage for the wild-card game next week.“We’re just continuing the good baseball we’re playing and trying to ride it into the postseason Preston Tucker Jersey ,” A’s first baseman Matt Olson told mlb.com after hitting a grand slam in a 9-3 win against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.A few Oakland players have some personal milestones within reach as well.Khris Davis, who played college baseball just a few miles away from Angel Stadium at Cal State Fullerton, has a major league leading 47 home runs, five ahead of J.D. Martinez of Boston.The last Oakland player to lead the majors in home runs was Mark McGwire, who hit 52 in 1996.“There’s a lot more to play for right now than just numbers,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters after the win on Wednesday. “When you’re not in it, that’s kind of the focal point, but we’re lucky enough to try to do both.”Mike Fiers is scheduled to start on the mound for the A’s in the series opener against the Angels (78-81), who can finish .500 with a sweep.Fiers (12-7, 3.31) is 5-1 since the A’s acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 6. Oakland also won its first seven games with Fiers on the mound before both lost 5-4 at the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 16. He rebounded Sa ... ay and held the Minnesota Twins to one run and four hits over six innings http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , but did not received a decision in the 3-2 walk-off win.“I’m going out there every start giving it everything I got just like every other guy in this clubhouse,” Fiers told mlb.com after his latest outing. “Everyone leans on each other every night, and I feel like it’s always someone different to get it done.”Fiers faced the Angels when he was still with Detroit on May 30, allowing one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He did not receive a decision in the 6-1 victory.In nine career starts against the Angels, he’s 3-3 with a 5.16 ERA. Angels center fielder Mike Trout is 6-for-17 in his career off Fiers with four doubles and a home run.Angels right-hander Jaime Barria wil try to conclude his rookie season on a high note.Barria (10-9, 3.54) is 5-2 in his past 11 starts with a 3.19 ERA.He began the season by going 5-1 with a 2.48 ERA before experiencing an 0-6 stretch over seven consecutive starts from June 12 to July 21. Barria has not faced the A’s this season.“He’s got great feel on the mound,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia recently told mlb.com.
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