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The good news for the Angels is that ace righty John Lackey’s recovery from a triceps strain is coming along swimmingly. He threw in the bullpen on Sunday, and will likely do so again during the homestand that kicks off Wednesday night against the suddenly competent Royals. Assuming everything goes well, he’ll stay on track for an early May return- as good a result as the Angels could have asked for when he was shut down in Spring Training.

The better news? The team to which Lackey returns hasn’t missed a beat in his absence. They’ve gone 9-6 to start the season, translating to a tidy .600 winning percentage and a 97 win pace. Obviously it’s early and much can change, but the point isn’t that LAA is off to a hot start, but that they’re arguably no worse off right now than they would have been had Lackey (and/or Kelvim Escobar, for that matter) been available from the get-go.  

The worry was that the Angels would suffer at the top of the season, and dig themselves a hole out of which they’d later have to climb. Instead, they’re tied for first, right where they’re supposed to be. Seattle, conversely, has failed to take advantage of any OC weakness, going 7-8 through their first 15 while watching linchpin lefty Erik Bedard battle hip inflammation.

Not exactly Detroit territory, but hardly a “carpe diem!” early April.

The Angels have thrived in no small part thanks to an offense piling up runs like Andruw Jones piles on pounds. Through April 15, only Arizona has bested the 79 runners LAA has managed to send across the dish. But unlike last season, when the Halos scored but without much power, in the early going they’ve benefited big time from the long ball. Third- third!- in the Majors. I know it’s only April 16 and I find it hard to believe that when it’s all said and done, the Angels won’t be passed in the big fly department by powerhouses like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Tigers. But whatever. So they won’t finish third. The important thing is they won’t finish 27th, either, as they did in ‘07.

Plus, they’re doing all those Angel-y things to which we’ve grown accustomed. #1 in BA (.301), #2 in stolen bases (16), #26 in strikouts (74). They’re putting the ball in play, running aggressively, and pressuring the opposition. Sounds like Mike Scioscia Ball to me.

On the mound, the numbers are less encouraging, but the starters have performed reasonably well in the absence of Lackey and Escobar. In three starts, Joe Saunders has been a very, very bad man (in a bad is good sort of way), going 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA. In three starts, Dustin Moseley has been a very, very bad man (in a bad is bad sort of way), allowing 13 earned in only 15 innings. Jon Garland has one great, one good, and one mediocre start. But importantly, both Jered Weaver and, perhaps a surprise to some (including me), Ervin Santana have done quality work in their six combined outings. In the case of Santana, he’s even been effective on the road, winning two games and allowing a respectable five runs in 13 IP. That’s a far cry from 2007, when he compiled an 8.38 ERA away from Angel Stadium.

While Escobar will likely be out for a while, if not the entire season, once Lackey returns the Angels will be far better equipped to absorb any problems in the back end of the rotation, should they arise. That they look ready to suffer through a month without him no worse for wear is an incredibly encouraging sign.

The instability in LAA’s pitching has really come in the pen, historically an ultra reliable source of quality innings for Scioscia’s crew. Over the first two weeks+ this year, though, their collective work has been raggedy. Frankie Rodriguez has dealt with ankle pain all year, helping explain his seven walks in 6.1 IP, and 5.68 ERA, despite having four saves in five chances. Justin Speier has surrendered two homers in 5.2 innings, and has allowed earned runs in three of his seven appearances, and three of four in stints longer than a third of a frame. Still, there’s no reason to panic. If history and health hold, both should be just fine as the season progresses. Meanwhile, Scot Shields has been great. By this time next month, the Angels bullpen should be just fine.

Nearly a 10th of the way into the year, the story for the Angels is, essentially, that there is no story. They’re still the best team in the AL West, still on track to win between 95 and 100 games. Still continuing their history of relatively drama free success, as if Lackey and Escobar had been there all along. The hope in Seattle was that the M’s would be able to take advantage of any April weakness for the Angels, and jump out to an early lead. Hasn’t happened.

Call it a case of no news is good news.

Brian Kamenetzky hosts the Lakers Blog and Blue Notes: A Dodgers Blog for the LA Times.com. He’s a contributing writer to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, and can be heard regularly on the Steve Mason Show, on 710 ESPN radio in LA. Write him at bk@sportshubla.com.

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