Angels stars speak out about team's travel schedule

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Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout was among the players on the American League West team to complain about the travel schedule they have to follow in early part of the season.

The Angels started the year with six consecutive games on the road. A three-game homestand then preceded another nine games away from California. At the beginning of the year, it was from Chicago to St. Louis. After going back to Anaheim, the team traveled to Tampa, Houston and Arlington before finally returning home.

Trout told The Athletic he doesn’t feel that the schedule is “ideal.”

“I don’t know when we’re supposed to land, but it’s going to be early. And we’ve got to play that night. And the worst part about it is, the next day is a day game,” he said.

The Angels’ final game in Tampa during their most recent road trip was a day game followed by travel to Houston to play a night game. After their final night game in Arlington against the Texans Rangers, the team traveled back to Anaheim for a night game against the San Francisco Giants.

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“I don’t think it’s healthy for anybody,” Angels closer Kenley Jansen added. “To finish playing a night game like that, get in at six in the morning. Then you’ve got a seven o’clock game, and the next couple days you have one o’clock games. It’s definitely not fair.”

The collective bargaining agreement has specific rules that govern travel times, according to The Athletic. A flight should take three hours and one minute for getaway games.

“The process of selecting game times begins months in advance of an upcoming season, and during those discussions, our club makes the convenience of our fans a top priority,” an Angels spokesman told the outlet.

Right now, the Angeles are in the midst of a homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But following their 9:29 p.m. ET time game against the Pirates on Thursday, the team will head to Minneapolis for a series against the Twins, followed by a two-game road trip against the Seattle Mariners with one day off in between.