ANAHEIM — Maybe the sight of his former teams has helped José Siri turn back the clock.
There were few expectations for the veteran outfielder when the Angels signed him to a minor-league deal on the heels of an injury-plagued season with the New York Mets. He played just 16 games last season, hitting .063.
Now healthy again, Siri has hit .333 with a .988 OPS in his first 23 games with the Angels, mostly starting against lefties and coming off the bench. In the past week he had a walk-off single against the Houston Astros and a two-run homer against the Tampa Bay Rays. Siri reached the big leagues with the Astros and his best years were with the Rays, in 2023 and 2024. He hit 43 homers with a .685 OPS over those two seasons.
“I feel great,” Siri said through an interpreter on Sunday morning. “Those (former teams) gave me a little love. They know what kind of player I am. I feel great. I’m just having fun.”
Siri, 30, clearly always has fun when he’s on the field. Everything he does, even catching routine fly balls, is done with a flourish. When he actually does something significant, it’s a sight to see, like his pose and bat flip after hitting a homer on Saturday.
“I always play that way,” Siri said, adding that he wants to make sure his teammates “don’t hang their heads.”
Manager Kurt Suzuki agrees that Siri is good for the clubhouse.
“He’s definitely brought some energy, some fun energy,” Suzuki said. “Obviously the defense. And he’s hitting the ball really well. He’s just good to have around and bringing that good vibe to our clubhouse.”
GRISSOM CLOSE
Vaughn Grissom, who has been out with an oblique issue, is getting ready to go on a rehab assignment, Suzuki said.
When he comes back, the Angels will have an interesting decision to make. Grissom can’t be optioned, so he needs to stay in the majors.
Presumably they aren’t going to send down Denzer Guzman, who is expected to get an extended look as the everyday third baseman.
Infielders Donovan Walton and Nick Madrigal have both given a boost to the lineup with quality at-bats and by spraying hits around the field. Grissom also does a good job of making contact.
The Angels can’t option Walton or Madrigal, so they would have to pass either one through waivers to keep them in the minors.
“We’ll cross that bridge when the time comes,” Suzuki said of the impending decision.
Designated hitter Jorge Soler and infielder Adam Frazier, who are also on the injured list, have been doing some on-field workouts, but they aren’t as close to being ready as Grissom.
NOTES
Suzuki still won’t name a closer, although it’s no longer right-hander Kirby Yates, who has pitched in mop-up duty the last two times. “We’re going to go by matchups,” Suzuki said. “Some games he’s pitched like yesterday, then some games he might pitch when it’s possibly a save situation. We don’t know yet. The game will dictate, but I guess we can’t name a set closer.” …
Left-hander Samy Natera has not allowed a run in his first 4 ⅔ major league innings, with six strikeouts. “He ain’t scared, you know,” Suzuki said. “He’s going to come right at you. We saw that in the WBC (for Mexico).”
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Walbert Ureña, 4-4, 2.44) at Diamondbacks (RHP Ryne Nelson, 2-5, 5.19), Monday, 6:40 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM