ANAHEIM — Griffin Canning didn’t come anywhere close to the quality of pitching he wanted, but he nonetheless took some pride in the quantity.
The Angels’ right-hander is set for his final start of the season on Saturday against the Texas Rangers. It will be his 32nd game. He’s currently at 166⅔ innings. Both are career highs.
For a player who missed a season and a half with a back injury – which was never surgically repaired – and also had elbow trouble earlier in his career, that has been a significant silver lining to the season.
“The No. 1 thing I can be really proud of and happy about is making every single start and throwing a good amount of innings,” Canning said.
Some of those innings have been pretty good, but many of them weren’t. Canning has allowed a major league-high 97 earned runs on his way to a 5.24 ERA.
“In order to be good, you’ve got to be consistent,” Canning said. “Just going into the offseason, just trying to build off those consistent starts. I felt like I was fighting myself all year, on my delivery, probably thinking about it too much.”
Much of the problem came early in games. Canning had a 7.05 ERA in the first and second innings, and then a 4.22 ERA in all innings after that. The major league average ERA is 4.08.
The problem became so acute that the Angels had Canning take the mound in the third inning after two relievers last month in Toronto. He pitched six scoreless innings that day.
Canning still prefers to start in the first inning, and he said it’s up to him to figure out what to do differently.
“I think it’s finding a way to come into the game and be loose and not feel tentative,” he said. “Just ready to attack.”
Canning, 28, is arbitration-eligible this winter, and then eligible for free agency after 2025. There are still a variety of paths the Angels could take with him next season. He could be in the rotation or the bullpen. They could also try to trade him.
Canning said he’s going to spend his winter working on finding the right keys to his mechanics to have him pitching the way he has when he’s at his best.
He said there have been encouraging moments throughout the year, as recently as his previous start in Houston. Canning gave up four runs in 4⅓ innings, but in that game he pitched a perfect fourth inning on 11 pitches.
“I felt like that was an inning I could build off,” Canning said. “Like I found something. You remember those little innings when you feel like you found stuff.”
Third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is out with an oblique injury, said he and the Angels have begun talking about a plan for the winter to try to get him healthy for next season.
He’s still not sure what that will entail.
“Give me the most options possible to try to figure everything out,” Rendon said. “The best solution possible to come back as strong as possible next year. We’ll look at all avenues. We’re gonna put our heads together.”
Rendon has been out with hamstring, back and oblique injuries this season, playing just 57 games. After the season, he will have played 32% of the Angels’ games over four years.
Rendon has two seasons left on his seven-year, $245 million deal.
Shortstop Zach Neto was out of the lineup because of right shoulder irritation, an injury he suffered on a head-first slide on Thursday in Chicago. Manager Ron Washington said he’s “optimistic,” that Neto could play again before the season ends on Sunday, but they have to “wait and see” as he gets evaluated. …
First baseman Nolan Schanuel was out with a bruised right leg, which he hurt on a foul ball on Wednesday night. Schanuel said he’s hoping to play again. …
Outfielder Jordyn Adams is “about 85%,” Washington said. Adams has been out with a sore knee. “I certainly wouldn’t want him to go out there at 85% being as young as he is and not knowing how to handle it, and something major happens,” Washington said. “I’m hoping to get him out before the year is over.”
Rangers (LHP Andrew Heaney, 5-14, 3.98 ERA) at Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 6-13, 5.24 ERA), Saturday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
