Alexi

Amarista

Amarista won the job by batting .339/.351/.554 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 16 games this spring in the Cactus League. He’ll act as a utility middle infielder.

Amarista made the Halos’ Opening Day roster on the back of a .339/.351/.554 spring, but had yet to receive an at-bat. With Scott Downs (ankle) ailing, the Angels need to call-up a reliever.

It’s his second longball of the spring, as Amarista now has seven hits over his first 16 at-bats and has driven in six runs. The bad news is that he was caught stealing once and was picked off another time Tuesday. Amarista would make for a final utilityman, but there’s probably not room for him on the roster at the moment.

The Angels think Amarista would make a nice utilityman, but since they chose to keep Maicer Izturis around, there’s just no room for him on the roster now. Fortunately, Amarista is only turning 23 in April, so he still has plenty of time left to establish himself.

Amarista is doing his best to earn an Opening Day roster spot by batting .349 with two homers, 13 RBI and a .992 OPS this spring. He still may get squeezed out, though, if the Halos only carry Maicer Izturis as a utility infielder.

Amarista has appeared in 23 games with the Angels over the past two seasons and owns a .313/.370/.441 batting line over parts of six seasons in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has decent speed and can play multiple positions, so he could end up being a useful utility player for the Friars. He’ll report to Triple-A Tucson.

No word on whether his absence is injury-related. We wouldn’t rule it out considering his history, but he is also one of the biggest bats on the trade market. Alexi Amarista is making the start in left field Monday while Logan Forsythe will play second base.

Amarista will be a fixture in the Padres lineup for as long as he keeps hitting. He’s 3-for-8 in his three starts so far. His NL-only upside is very limited, but he has a bit of value as long as he’s a regular.

Amarista had been sidelined for a couple days with a jammed left thumb. He may still be dealing with discomfort but should reappear in the starting lineup shortly.

The reason for the change isn’t yet known. Alexi Amarista will now make the start at second base.