The Los Angeles Angels announced a round of roster moves on Sunday that included the assignment of Nelson Rada to minor-league camp.
Rada, the Angels' No. 3 prospect, turned 18 in August and got his first taste of big-league camp this spring and performed well in his four Cactus League games. He was 2-for-6 with two RBIs, two walks and three stolen bases. He only struck out once.
Rada was never projected to break camp with the big-league club because of his age but the Angels have been aggressive with their young prospects under general manager Perry Minasian.
He'll get the chance to show off more of what he can do against the Los Angeles Dodgers prospects in the inaugural Spring Breakout game on March 16 at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
“He’s a young kid with good bat-to-ball skills. We just want him to play his game. He puts the ball in play and can run. We’re trying to get him a little more aggressive on the basepaths. But he’s 18 years old, so he’s in his head. We just told him to trust his speed and got an interpreter to tell him if he gets thrown out, just to dust himself off and try it again. He’s got carte blanche.”
At the same age as a high school senior, Rada will most likely begin the season in High-A Tri-City and work his way up from there.
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