MLB Update: Dodgers and Angels struggling early on

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The baseball season is merely three weeks gone by yet Angeleno fans have reasons for concern. Both the Dodgers and the Angels are battling the injury bug, fighting against slow starts, and are trying to put a product on the field worth the team’s hefty payrolls.

LA Times Baseball Beat Writer Bill Shaikin has spent a good deal of time covering both the Dodgers and the Angels this season. He says the Boys in Blue have struggled at the dish, because their big names players are performing anything like superstars.

“Then you are looking at a lineup that has defense first players, to put it nicely, at 1st base, short stop, 3rd base and catcher, plus you add Kemp struggling and that is not a potent lineup,” Shaikin said.

The pitching staff meanwhile started off the year with promise, but a slew of injures may hamper their long term success. The Dodgers have lost three starting pitchers to injury thus far, plus the reliable back-up starter Aaron Harang was traded away earlier this season.

Shaikin says the remaining semblance of a rotation is playing on pins and needles. “Right now there just hoping and crossing their fingers to just finish out a rotation.”

Over in Orange County, the Angels started the season extremely slow with a 2-8 record. Shaikin says the sluggish Halos are showing signs of life.

“The offense is starting to come to life. This was definitely a team built on offense, and coming into this week you have four of the first five hitters in the lineup hitting over 300,” Shaikin said.

The Angeles pitching staff has been extremely dicey this season, unlike their counterparts across town. In order for the Angles to succeed, Shaikin says the staff will need to improve.

“They have a pretty decent bullpen now, and they don’t need their starters give them seven or eight innings," Shaikin said. "They’d like it, but they are not getting it right now. And if they can outslug people they may not need it.”

The Dodgers sputtering offense is squaring with the New York Mets, while the Angels host the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.