Shoemaker seeks first win as Angels host A's

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker has already made it through a full spring training and four regular-season starts this year, but he isn't quite all the way back.

It will be more "official" when he gets his first win since sustaining a frightening injury last year in a game against the Seattle Mariners. He will get another chance Wednesday when he makes the start against the Oakland Athletics.

Shoemaker was hit squarely on the right side of his head by a 105 mph line drive off the bat of Seattle's Kyle Seager last Sept 4. Though Shoemaker remained conscious and walked off the field under his own power, he had suffered a fractured skull.

Shoemaker underwent emergency surgery that night to halt the bleeding on his brain.

"It seems like it happened a long time ago at this point," Shoemaker told foxsports.com. "When I got hit, I was down on all fours. I was dizzy and light-headed, but I knew what had happened and I was trying to gather myself, too. I was actually thinking, 'Give me a second, I can get up and still pitch.' Our trainers all laughed about that later."

Shoemaker experimented with different protective liners inside his cap during the spring. He finally settled on one, but interestingly, his wife, Danielle, joked that it didn't matter if he used one at all.

"She really doesn't mind," Shoemaker told the Orange County Register. "She said, 'You've got a titanium plate in there, so you're probably good if it hits the same spot.'"

Shoemaker could be close to finally getting into the win column if his last start is any indication. He had his best outing of the season Thursday against the Houston Astros, when he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in a season-high seven innings, striking out seven.

The Angels, though, lost 2-1.

He has had success against Oakland in his career, going 4-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). No Oakland hitter has done much against Shoemaker other than Khris Davis, who has three hits in seven at-bats against him, including two home runs.

Sean Manaea will start on the mound for Oakland, and the 6-foot-5 left-hander is coming off consecutive impressive performances. He went 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in those two starts, holding opposing hitters to a .135 average.

He has never beaten the Angels, though, going 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA in three starts, including a no-decision earlier this season. Mike Trout has hit Manaea well, going 4-for-7 against him, including a home run and a triple. Albert Pujols, however, is 0-for-9 against Manaea.

Now in his first full season in the majors, Manaea has worked on adding a slider to his pitch repertoire, which includes a fastball and a changeup.

"He's good enough to get away with fastball-changeup," A's manager Bob Melvin told the San Jose Mercury News, "but if he wants to take it to another level, the slider is going to be a big pitch for him."