The Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday that the club has optioned outfielder Jo Adell to Triple-A and recalled infielder Jose Rojas to take the vacant spot.
Adell was once highly regarded as one of the Angels’ top prospects after stepping to the big league in 2020. However, since then, the 23-year-old has been struggling and rather inconsistent. In this season, Adell had three home runs in 19 games, batted .231/.242/.431, and made an average of .210.
The right-handed batsman only made 66 plate appearances, struck out 245 times, and walked out a single time. Despite a strong 2022 training, Adell will have to spend time in Triple-A as the Angels had hoped the player to make his breakout this season.
Angels options Adell to Triple-A
It was an underwhelming career turn for the young OF after moving back and forth to Major and Triple-A since 2020. But, chances for Adell to make his return to the Major League are still there.
One of the big reasons why Los Angeles moved Adell to the Minors was mostly due to his unexpected season statistics and was unable to compete with two other high-caliber outfielders.
Adell offered less than his fellow outfielders Taylor Ward and Brandon Marsh. The latter batted .267/.333/.417, while Ward on the other is a different high-caliber bullet. The 28-year-old this season made what analysts considered league-leading and MVP-caliber numbers .390/.493/.746. Additionally, he also made five home runs, 1.239 OPS., and stole a single base.
Adell in Los Angeles
Los Angeles drafted Adell 10th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. He would soon begin his career with the AZL Angels in June that year and it did not take him long to get promoted to the Minor League with the Orem Owlz after making four home runs, and batting 288/.351/.542 alongside 21 RBIs.
The professional batsman spent the remainder of the season with the Owlz and played a total of 18 games with a single home run, .376/.411/.518, and nine RBIs. Surely, his performance caught the attention of a Class A Midwest League club, the Burlington Bees, and began to play for the Bees in the following year.
It took Adell two years since the Bees before making his debut with Los Angeles in 2020. But before that, the Shelby-born had to went through a series of promotions after Burlington, starting with the Inland Empire 66ers in Class A-Advanced California and the Mobile BayBears in Class AA Southern League.
In 2019, the right-handed pitcher began the 2019 spring training as one of the Angels’ non-roster invitees and appeared that landing a spot in the Major League is getting closer for him. It was indeed, but not until getting promoted to the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Salt Lake Bees and yet another series of choke-full promotions for the rest of the year.
On August 4, 2020, the outfielder hit a gold mine as he was promoted to the Major League with Los Angeles. His debut game was against the Seattle Mariners on August 29 and made his first-ever two home runs in the big league.
He played a total of 38 games in his rookie season with the Angels, made three home runs, and batted .161/.212/.266 alongside 7 RBIs.
In 2021, however, Adell began playing for Triple-A Salt Lake and had managed a few notable achievements in that year from hitting his first-ever grand slam against the Detroit Tigers on August 17 and wrapped the season with 35 games played, four home runs, and batted .246/.295/.408 alongside 26 RBIs.
