One of the main reasons the Los Angeles Angels have struggled over the past several years has been their lack of pitching depth.
Unfortunately, signing Noah Syndergaard, Michael Lorenzen, Aaron Loup, and Ryan Tepera did not work out for the Halos in 2022.
Despite that, the team does have a pitching reinforcement on the way to 2023.
Right-hander Griffin Canning, who has not pitched in a game since July of 2021 due to back issues, has been cleared to start throwing again, according to Sam Blum of The Athletic.
No timetable has been revealed for the right-hander at this point, but all signs point to him potentially returning in 2023.
Angels announce that starting pitching Griffin Canning (back) has been cleared to start throwing.
He hasn’t pitched in a game since July 2021.
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) November 9, 2022
Canning Set To Begin Throwing
The 26-year-old Canning pitched in just 14 games in 2021, going 5-4 with a 5.60 ERA.
Canning made his debut for the Halos back in 2019, going 5-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 18 appearances, 17 of which were starts.
His best season was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
That year, Canning posted a 3.99 ERA in 11 starts and went 2-3.
In 2019, I have dealt with several elbow related ailments, but his back has been the issue over the past several seasons.
Obviously, Canning missed the entire 2022 season, but it appears as if he is on track to potentially return at some point in the 2023 season, which would give the Angels a huge boost in their starting rotation.
Still, the Angels will need to add an arm or two to go with Shohei Ohtani in order to bounce back into contention next season.
The team went 73-89 and fell short of October for the eighth straight season.
