Jered Weaver scratched from scheduled start as Angels line up playoff rotation
By Hayden Kane
The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners were set for a showdown of their respective staff aces on Thursday night, as Jered Weaver was slated to start opposite Felix Hernandez.
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Then a funny thing happened: once the Oakland Athletics lost on Wednesday night, the Angels officially clinched the American League West division title. With that order of business taken care of, the Angels are going to scratch Weaver from that scheduled start on Thursday in order to line up their playoff rotation.
Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reported the news:
"One night after clinching the American League West title, the Angels scratched Jered Weaver from his Thursday start against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, opting to go with left-hander Wade LeBlanc, instead.The Angels also have an open spot on Saturday because Matt Shoemaker is nursing a strained left oblique. Weaver could presumably fill that spot, then start on five days’ rest in the last Friday of the regular season – against the Mariners at Safeco Field – and then be on five days’ rest again for Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Thursday, Oct. 2."
In addition to setting up the rotation for the playoffs, this little bit of extra rest might also be in the interest of keeping Weaver healthy down the stretch. For a team that has already lost Garrett Richards and saw the aforementioned Shoemaker get dinged up this week, that is no small thing for the Angels to consider.