Barstool Bush
Predictions

Athletics at Los Angeles Angels

By Bush StaffUpdated 55d ago·2 min read
AthleticsATH(40-43)
Los Angeles AngelsLAA(35-49)
1—4
FINAL
123456789RHE
ATH
000010000160
LAA
04000000—470

Aaron Civale (5-4, 4.88 ERA) takes the mound for the Athletics at 12:15 PM PT, drawing rookie left-hander Sam Aldegheri (2-3, 5.47 ERA) in response for Los Angeles. Civale recently returned from shoulder tendinitis, and while his season ERA looks rough, his road numbers are a different story — he's posted a 3.34 ERA away from home this year. Aldegheri is a 24-year-old Italian-born lefty who landed in the Angels rotation only because Jack Kochanowicz needed Tommy John surgery, and before his promotion he was running a 7.24 ERA at Triple-A.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Athletics(40-43)
LWWLL
1
Angels(35-49)
WLWWL
4
Best BetAngels +100
Pregame

The market has priced this game so heavily toward the Angels that Oakland barely registers as a live option. Even with Civale showing solid road numbers this season, the A's are operating without Gelof and Rooker — 2 of their most reliable bats — which limits their ceiling for a comeback or a decisive inning. Los Angeles is the play to close out their home series.

The series context matters here. Oakland won game 1 on Friday by a blowout 9-3, then gave back that momentum with a 2-5 loss Saturday that evened things up heading into today. The A's are shorthanded in a real way: Zack Gelof (hand, 10-Day IL) and Brent Rooker (knee, 10-Day IL) are both out, removing 2 of their better run-producers from the lineup. Shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) sat Saturday but was listed as available and could return to the starting lineup for the rubber match. The Angels are without Mike Trout — he's been taking swings and running at 50 percent in his hamstring rehab, but he's nowhere close to game action.

Athletics
Aaron Civale
(5-7)·5.42 ERA
Jun 23 @ Giants
L
4.0IP
2ER
5K
0BB
84P
06/28 Lineup
Los Angeles Angels
Sam Aldegheri
(3-4)·5.08 ERA
Jun 22 vs Orioles
L
4.2IP
5ER
3K
1BB
91P
06/28 Lineup
Athletics
Athletics
(40-43)
Jun 28L@ Angels2-5
Jun 27W@ Angels9-3
Jun 25W@ Giants9-6
Jun 25L@ Giants1-2
Jun 24L@ Giants1-3
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels
(35-49)
Jun 28Wvs Athletics5-2
Jun 27Lvs Athletics3-9
Jun 24Wvs Orioles7-6
Jun 24Wvs Orioles5-1
Jun 23Lvs Orioles1-6

Civale's June 23 start against San Francisco ended at 4 innings and 84 pitches, giving up 6 hits and 2 runs before the Athletics pulled him. That was his second start back from the IL, and it wasn't a confidence-builder. Aldegheri's last turn — June 22 against Baltimore — went 4.2 innings with 5 earned runs on 5 hits before he was pulled at 91 pitches. Neither pitcher has shown an ability to work deep into games, which means both bullpens get stress-tested early. The Angels' relief situation is further complicated by Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson sitting on the 60-day IL, so there's no dominant late-inning option to bail Aldegheri out if he gets knocked around before the 5th.

Athletics
Athletics
(9)
  • Day-To-DayJacob Wilson (SS) — Wilson (shoulder) isn't starting against the Angels on Saturday, but he's available off the bench and could be back in the starting lineup Sunday, Michael Huntley of the Orange County Register reports.06/28
  • 10-Day-ILZack Gelof (3B) — The Athletics placed Gelof on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right hand contusion.06/25
  • 10-Day-ILBrent Rooker (DH) — Rooker (knee) is still not participating in any baseball activities as of Tuesday, MLB.com reports.06/24
  • 15-Day-ILMark Leiter Jr. (RP) — Leiter (hip) began a throwing progression Monday, MLB.com reports.06/24
  • OutWei-En Lin (P) — Lin is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.06/27
  • 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke (CF) — Clarke (hamstring) has started to play catch and has also begun a swinging progression, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.06/23
  • 60-Day-ILLuis Severino (SP) — The Athletics transferred Severino (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.06/21
  • 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske (RP) — Kriske (shoulder) began a throwing progression Thursday, MLB.com reports.06/16
  • 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund (SP) — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.05/20
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels
(13)
  • Day-To-DayNiko Kavadas (1B) — The Angels reassigned Kavadas to minor-league camp Wednesday.06/22
  • 10-Day-ILMike Trout (CF) — Trout (hamstring) took 30 swings and ran at about 50 percent Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.06/28
  • 10-Day-ILAdam Frazier (2B) — Frazier (elbow) resumed throwing Wednesday, per MLB.com.06/27
  • 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero (C) — Rivero was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left hand injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.06/10
  • 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero (C) — The Angels selected Campero's contract from Double-A Rocket City and placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured hand.06/06
  • 15-Day-ILGrayson Rodriguez (SP) — Rodriguez (back) will make a rehab start Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.06/26
  • 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz (SP) — Kochanowicz's Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was deemed "successful," per MLB.com.06/27
  • 60-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi (SP) — Kikuchi (shoulder) has begun a throwing program, per MLB.com.06/27
  • 60-Day-ILBen Joyce (RP) — Joyce (shoulder) has been throwing at the Angels' complex in Arizona, but he's limited to fastball-only bullpens, per MLB.com.06/27
  • 60-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud (C) — D'Arnaud (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot, and he played catch on the field Wednesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 60-Day-ILYoan Moncada (3B) — Moncada will require surgery on his right knee, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.06/09
  • 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson (RP) — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon (3B) — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

The Angels' rotation as a whole is a patchwork — Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder) and Kochanowicz are both on the 60-day, and Grayson Rodriguez (back) made a rehab start this weekend rather than pitching in this series. Aldegheri is essentially a placeholder, and the Angels know it. What works in their favor is that Oakland's lineup is running on a shorter roster and pitching is Civale's department now, for better or worse. At 35-49, the Angels don't have much of a season to protect — but they do have home field and a crowd for the finale.

Sources

MLBAthleticsLos Angeles AngelsPolymarketKalshiAaron CivaleSam Aldegheri