Angels’ Ron Washington wants Jo Adell to have ‘growing moments’

ANAHEIM — Three days before Willie Calhoun’s walk-off two-run homer Friday, Calhoun was sitting on the bench when Jo Adell struck out to end a game.

Angels coaches wanted Calhoun to pinch-hit for Adell in that spot at the end of Tuesday’s game, but manager Ron Washington stuck with Adell for a simple reason.

“I wanted him to feel that,” Washington said on Saturday. “That was a growing moment for him. And I wanted him to feel it. There will be many more moments like that when he’s going to come through for us, simply because of the (opportunity) he got.”

Adell is hitting .183, including .127 over his last 154 plate appearances. Ever since an encouraging start to the season, he’s been in a tailspin.

Washington’s explanation about what happened Tuesday, however, demonstrates the faith the manager still has in him.

“I could have pinch-hit for Jo Adell,” Washington said. “All my coaches were in my ear to do it. And the first thing I told him is he’s got to learn about this situation. I’m not going to pull him out of that situation. There might be a time that I pull him out of that situation, but at that moment, I didn’t feel it was the time. He needs to feel it. If he’s going to be one of our guys going forward, he needs to learn how to handle them.”

The discussion of that moment came up because Washington said he made a different decision with right-hander Griffin Canning the next night. Canning was getting shaky in the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead Wednesday, and Washington pulled him.

His logic was that Canning has more experience than Adell, so Canning doesn’t need to be left in situations to learn.

“Earlier in the year when the decision has to be made, the decision was let’s see if he could fight through it,” Washington said. “I’m not interested in him fighting through it now. But to get the opportunity to fight through it, you’ve got to earn that.”

If that sounds inconsistent, Washington concedes that it is.

“It’s a young group, man,” Washington said. “When you’ve got a young group, there’s nothing consistent. It’s just the feel you have in that moment.”

DRAFT DAY

The Angels will have the eighth pick in the draft, which begins Sunday. Their pick will come around 4:30 p.m. PT.

The draft will continue through the end of the second round Sunday. The Angels will also have a second-round pick at No. 45 and a compensation pick at No. 74. The latter is what the Angels received as compensation for the loss of Shohei Ohtani.

The Angels’ first-round pick has reached the majors quickly each of the last two years, with 2022 selection Zach Neto getting to the big leagues in nine months and 2023 first-rounder Nolan Schanuel making it in less than two months.

The draft continues through the 10th round Monday, and it concludes with the 20th round Tuesday.

DANA’S DAY

Right-hander Caden Dana, the Angels’ top prospect, gave up one run on a homer in his one inning of work in the Futures Game on Saturday. Dana entered in the third inning of a scoreless game, so the run he allowed was enough to saddle him with the loss.

Dana left a 96 mph fastball over the middle to Cam Collier, a left-handed hitting Cincinnati Reds prospect.

Dana also gave up a single and recorded a strikeout in his 14-pitch inning. His fastball averaged 94.3 mph.

Dana, 20, has a 2.99 ERA in 90 1/3 innings this season at Double-A, with 97 strikeouts and 31 walks.

SURGERY FOR WANTZ

Right-hander Andrew Wantz underwent season-ending elbow surgery, although the Angels declined to say the exact type of surgery. Wantz was already on the 60-day injured list.

Wantz missed time earlier this season with an elbow injury. He came back and pitched one game in the majors, then got hurt.

NOTES

Right-hander Sam Bachman, who had been a candidate to start for the Angels on Sunday, instead started Saturday at Double-A. The Angels will use either right-hander Roansy Contreras or right-hander Carson Fulmer on Sunday, the final game before the All-Star break. …

Anthony Rendon was in the lineup at DH on Saturday, the sixth consecutive game he started since coming off the injured list. Rendon has been alternating between third base and DH. He had been 4 for 19 (.211) with two doubles and three walks going into Saturday. “He’s coming,” Washington said. “At least he’s seeing pitches, and the more pitches he sees, the better it’s going to be for him.”

UP NEXT

Mariners (RHP Logan Gilbert, 6-5, 2.94) at Angels (TBD) at Angel Stadium, 1:07 p.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.