Matt Wise serving as Angels pitching coach during Mickey Callaway investigation

Angels bullpen coach Matt Wise will serve as the team’s pitching coach while MLB’s investigation into Mickey Callaway continues, manager Joe Maddon said on Tuesday as pitchers and catchers reported to spring training at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Arizona.

This is Wise’s 10th season as a coach in the Angels system, following an eight-year major league career as a pitcher, including his first three seasons (2000-02) with the Angels.

Callaway was suspended by the Angels on Feb. 2, one day after a report in The Athletic in which five women accused Callaway of harassment, over a period of multiple years in multiple cities.

“Anything regarding Mickey Callaway right now, I really can’t comment on it,” Maddon said to start his Zoom press conference.

Dom Chiti, who was hired this offseason as special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian, will fill in temporarily as bullpen coach.

As for the pitching itself, Maddon praised the new pitching acquisitions. In addition to Jose Quintana, Alex Cobb, and Raisel Iglesias, all of whom are on the 40-man roster, Maddon also specifically mentioned Junior Guerra, who is on a minor league contract, as a pitcher who could help.

“I think depth is going to be challenged this year,” Maddon said. “I like the quality of pitchers we got, and I like the makeup of the pitchers we got. I think that will play out over the course of the year.”

The Angels’ first workout for pitchers and catchers in Tempe is Wednesday.

Links

• Mike DiGiovanna at the Los Angeles Times writes about why Callaway hasn’t yet been fired.
• Maddon says Shohei Ohtani is “a full go” as a two-player in 2021, writes Jeff Fletcher at the Orange County Register.
• Starting pitching will be the key to the Angels season, writes Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic in his spring preview.
• Did the Angels do enough this offseason to contend? DiGiovanna weighs in with his spring training preview at the LA Times.
• David Schoenfield at ESPN picked one thing to watch for all 30 MLB teams in spring training. For the Angels, he thinks they could use another starting pitcher.
• Cam Bedrosian, who pitched the last seven years for the Angels, signed a minor league deal with the Reds. Wick Terrell at Red Reporter has more.
• Rhett Bollinger at MLB.com rates the Angels best draft picks.