Angels using controversial methods to avoid negative press

Blum told Twitter users that the ploy isn't a policy driven by the Angels public relations department, but it is being applied to all members of the media and has been going on all season.

Numerous reporters from across the country took to social media on Wednesday to call out the methods.

While Los Angeles is only 2.5 games out of first place in the AL West with a respectable 16-14 record, the organization has been surrounded by numerous less-than-ideal situations in recent months.

It was reported last summer that team owner Arte Moreno was exploring a sale of the franchise. Moreno purchased the Angels in 2003, just one year after they won their only pennant and World Series title. Since then, despite having superstar Mike Trout on the team for the last 13 years (and Shohei Ohtani since 2018), the Angels have only made the playoffs once and haven't sniffed another championship.

Ohtani, meanwhile, is a pending free agent and widely expected to leave the Angels.

Another high-profile name on the Angels who (unlike Ohtani and Trout) has caused issues is third baseman Anthony Rendon. Aside from his massive struggles since joining the team in 2020, Rendon was involved in a heated altercation with a fan in March following the team's Opening Day loss, a scuffle that resulted in a four-game suspension.