WEST SACRAMENTO — Matthew Lugo is doing what Kyren Paris did back in April.
The Angels are hoping the next chapter of the story is different.
Manager Ron Washington gave ample warnings to pump the brakes on the hype for Paris after his sensational opening two weeks, and he’s doing the same now that Lugo has gotten his big league career off to a hot start.
“You guys hype it up because of what you’re seeing, and that’s OK, but the game of baseball is about how consistent can you be and how long can you sustain it,” Washington said on Monday. “If he sustains it going into July and August, then we can have this conversation. But right now, I want him to enjoy himself. I don’t want him to feel any pressure and just keep doing what he’s doing. And the league right now doesn’t know who he is. When they find out who he is, hopefully, he can start making the adjustments.”
Lugo, 24, came into the week with a .360 average, three homers and a 1.260 OPS in his first nine games.
Paris, 23, began the season hitting .419 with five homers and a 1.514 OPS in his first 12 games. In the next 27 games, Paris hit .108 with 45 strikeouts in 88 plate appearances.
Paris is now losing playing time to Lugo in the outfield.
While no one expects Lugo to continue hitting at this level, he comes with an encouraging track record.
The Angels acquired Lugo last July from the Boston Red Sox in the Luis Garcia trade. At the time of the deal, Lugo had produced a 1.069 OPS at Double-A and a .792 mark at Triple-A. He played only one game in the Angels system before suffering a season-ending thumb injury.
This spring, he continued to impress, with a .293 average and a .794 OPS. He didn’t make the team and slumped initially at Triple-A.
It started to turn for him with a change in approach.
“I talked with the team at the end spring training about swing decisions, and I feel like when I started in Triple-A, I was too cautious of my swing decisions, and I was late,” Lugo said. “I was indecisive with my swings. For me to get out of it, I was just trying to be like, on time and attack. It’s like having that mentality of swinging at the pitches that I could do damage, instead of having that defensive mentality that I have to take balls or whatever. Just trying to be on time with the fastball and try to be a little bit more aggressive.”
Lugo is 3 for 5 with two of his homers when swinging at the first pitch. Both times he’s put the 1-and-0 pitch in play, he’s doubled.
Lugo said being in the big leagues in some ways feels even more comfortable than being in Triple-A.
“Here in the big leagues, the pitchers I feel are more around the zone,” Lugo said. “In the minor leagues, it’s still hard for them to throw strikes or whatever. But here, pitchers’ control is very good. And the lights are honestly better. I feel like I recognize pitches a little better.”
All of it has been nice to see for the Angels, but Washington wants to see more.
“We knew the kid could swing the bat,” Washington said. “That’s what they said when they brought him, that he could hit, and he’s showing that. But let’s see if we can get some consistency and some sustainability before we start jumping on the bandwagon. I love what he’s doing. He’s certainly been in the middle of a lot of things that we’ve been doing, but let him continue to play and continue to show.”
TROUT UPDATE
Mike Trout did some light jogging on the field on Monday afternoon, the first time he’d advanced to that step in his rehab from a bruised left knee.
“That’s a huge step,” Washington said. “That was just about as minimal as you can get. Each time that he goes out, they’re going to ramp it up, so we’ll see where it goes. Right now he came out of it in good shape.”
The Angels’ three-time MVP has been hitting off a machine, throwing and doing agility drills.
MEMORIES
Paris grew up in Oakley, which is about halfway between Oakland and Sacramento. He said he was an A’s fan as a kid, and went to plenty of games in the Coliseum.
So the trip to play the A’s in West Sacramento hit him in an emotional place.
“For me, it’s sad,” Paris said. “Just all the memories that I had. That’s where I fell in love with baseball, watching the game and just watching the players that I looked up to out on that field at the Coliseum. It was special for me. So it’s definitely sad.”
Washington was also a longtime coach in Oakland. He referred to the A’s several times in his pregame media session as the “Oakland A’s.”
NOTES
Right-hander Sam Bachman (thoracic outlet syndrome) was activated from his rehab assignment and optioned to Triple-A. Bachman has pitched five innings in his rehab assignment, allowing just one unearned run, with six walks and five strikeouts. …
Right-hander Hector Neris, who was bothered by a blister over the weekend, was available to pitch on Monday, but Washington said he’d like to give him another day off.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks, 1-5, 5.18) at Athletics (RHP Gunnar Hogland, 1-1, 3.78), Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM