TEMPE, Ariz. — Colin Walsh is becoming an expert at adapting.
A non-roster invite with the Angels, Walsh is with the seventh team of his career, including five in just the last two-plus seasons.
“You meet a lot of people,” Walsh said. “It’s not ideal, but whatever path it takes to get to the right team is the best one. If it takes six or seven teams to end up in the right spot, that’s all I can really ask for.”
Walsh, a 28-year-old infielder, would seem to be in a decent spot now. When the Angels traded C.J. Cron a few days ago, they did so because they wanted more versatility with what figures to be a three-man bench. They also continue to be focused on improving their on-base percentage.
A natural second baseman, Walsh can play all four infield positions and left field. The switch-hitter also has a career .397 on-base percentage in the minor leagues.
“You hope to get to the organization that values what I do well,” Walsh said.
A La Jolla native and product of Stanford, Walsh was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, with current Angels scouting director Matt Swanson having inked him for the Cardinals in 2010.
Walsh then passed to the Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros. He was with the latter three all in 2017.
“You just try to make new friends and do the same thing every time and try to make a good impression on whatever team you are with,” Walsh said. “It’s kind of tough because teams don’t know who you are, but you get a chance to make a new impression. You get a team with a fresh outlook on you and you get to make your own image as opposed to a team that has had you for five or six years and has you pigeonholed as one thing.”
In 2016, the Brewers took him as a Rule 5 pick, which is how he got his 63 plate appearances of big league experience. He hit just .085, albeit with a .317 on-base percentage.
The Angels currently have a wide open race for the final bench spot vacated by Cron. Other than Walsh, the leading candidates would seem to be Kaleb Cowart, Nolan Fontana and Jose Miguel Fernandez. Cowart and Fontana are already on the 40-man roster, while Walsh and Fernandez are not.
If it doesn’t work for Walsh with the Angels, it figures another team will give him a shot.
“Might as well go for all 30 at this point,” he said.
SLOW STARTING
Fans hoping to see Mike Trout play when the Angels open the Cactus League schedule this weekend could be disappointed.
When the start of the regular season moved up four days, but not the start of spring training, the workout time for everyday players before the first exhibition games was compressed. For that reason, when the Cactus League schedule starts on Friday, the Angels will not be using most of their key everyday players. Manager Mike Scioscia said they will let most of the players wait until next week.
Major League Baseball has a loosely enforced rule mandating four major leaguers in the lineup for all spring training games, but that rule won’t be enforced at all until Mar. 1 this spring.
“A couple guys might get a couple at bats if they are up for it,” Scioscia said. “As we worked it out, we need to get these guys to a certain point with their legs and arms before they go out and get in a game and react. You are cutting their training time in half.”
Scioscia said the younger players were told back in November to push up their training schedules so they can be ready for games immediately.
OHTANI’S DAY
Shohei Ohtani took live batting practice for the second straight day, but this time he swung at a couple pitches instead of simply tracking them. He hit a pair of foul balls, one apiece against Andrew Heaney and Cam Bedrosian. He is scheduled for another bullpen session on Thursday, so the soonest he could pitch in a game would be Saturday. He isn’t likely to hit in a game before Monday.
