ATLANTA — The Jonathan Villar Experiment is over.
A day after Villar made two errors and another misplay that cost the Angels a run, they designated the veteran infielder for assignment.
“These things are tough,” manager Phil Nevin said. “They really are. This is a performance-based industry as we all know, and defensively, we just think we need to get better in some spots.”
When the Angels picked up Villar — after he’d been released by the Chicago Cubs — they hoped that he would help their offense, and he didn’t do that either. Villar produced a .451 OPS with the Angels.
On the day they let him go, though, Nevin focused on the defense, which he said has been an issue for the entire team.
“The defense has got to get better,” Nevin said. “We’ve pitched too good to be where our record is. You’re going to have ruts where you don’t score runs but if you’re not catching the ball, making plays you need to make in the big leagues … It shows we’re still trying to improve our club and win games. You’ve got to be good on the defensive side of the ball.”
Phil Gosselin, whom the Angels picked up on waivers last week, got the start at third base on Sunday.
Nevin also moved Jo Adell back to left field, after saying he felt Adell was more comfortable in right field. Adell has still had trouble in right field, including allowing a popup to drop on Friday and having a ball hit him in the chest on Saturday.
Without getting improvement from Adell in right, the Angels decided to move Taylor Ward back to the position where he is more comfortable.
“It’s more getting Taylor Ward back to where we need him,” Nevin said. “He certainly feels more comfortable in right field. I know I said that about Jo, but he has played a lot of left field.”
Nevin also put Andrew Velazquez back at shortstop, moving Luis Rengifo to second. When Michael Stefanic was called up earlier this month, Nevin said that he’d go with an infield of Stefanic at second and Rengifo at shortstop, with Velazquez coming in for defense.
Stefanic isn’t as good defensively as Rengifo at second, and the slight downgrade in the field wasn’t balanced by much of an improvement offensively from Velazquez.
Stefanic hit .184 with a .506 OPS in his first 44 plate appearances. Velazquez was hitting .170 with a .473 OPS.
“(Stefanic) is putting the ball in play,” Nevin said. “At this level, you’ve got to hit the ball hard. Balls on the ground at this level are gonna be outs. He’s working on that. He understands that.”
It could all be a moot point soon, with David Fletcher expected to be activated on Thursday. Fletcher would likely play in the middle infield with Rengifo. The Angels could then move either Fletcher or Rengifo to third, with Velazquez at shortstop, to protect a late lead.
NEW ROLE FOR BARRIA?
Jaime Barria pitched four scoreless innings at the end of Saturday night’s game, lowering his ERA to 2.81.
Nevin conceded that the Angels are kicking around the idea of finding a new role for Barria, as a starter or perhaps a more prominent role in the bullpen.
“It did come up and we talked about him last night quite a big,” Nevin said Sunday. “He’s been a savior in that ‘pen. I know he started in the past. I think he’s got a different mindset if he were to go into that spot. I’m not ruling it out.”
The Angels need a starter for Wednesday in Kansas City, but Nevin said they think three days rest would be too soon for Barria to come back to start.
Nevin also rejected the idea that Barria isn’t serving an important role by saving the rest of the bullpen in lopsided games.
“I love him in that role,” Nevin said. “It’s not necessarily a negative role, where he comes in when we’re losing. He’s pitched games we’ve been ahead too. He’s saved our ‘pen. He really saved those guys out there. And it makes everyone around him better.”
NOTES
The Angels called up outfielder Magneuris Sierra to take Villar’s roster spot. Sierra had a .795 OPS at Triple-A, playing mostly in center field. He has played parts of five seasons in the majors, with a .565 OPS in 540 plate appearances …
The Angels have not abandoned the cowboy hat they were wearing after hitting homers. They just haven’t used it the last couple nights in Atlanta because the homers came when they were losing by lopsided scores.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Noah Syndergaard, 5-7, 4.00) at Royals (RHP Zack Greinke, 3-6, 4.64), Monday, 5:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM