Angels acquire C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk in trade with Colorado for 2 minor leaguers

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have reacquired slugger C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.

The Angels sent minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden to the Rockies on Sunday in the deal that brought two former Angels first-round draft picks back to the team.

The Angels are fighting to end their MLB-worst streaks of seven consecutive losing seasons and eight consecutive non-playoff seasons, but their efforts have been endangered by injuries that have seriously compromised their big league depth.

They have a major league-leading 17 players on their injured lists after outfielder Taylor Ward joined the group Sunday before their extra-inning victory in Toronto. Ward was moved to the 60-day injured list later in the day, effectively ending his regular season, with facial fractures after Toronto’s Alek Manoah hit him in the face with a fastball on Saturday.

Cron spent his first four major league seasons with Los Angeles, hitting 59 of his 186 career homers. He is batting .260 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs this season for the Rockies.

Grichuk was selected by the Angels one pick before Mike Trout in the 2009 draft. Los Angeles traded him to St. Louis before he reached the majors and began a 10-year career with the Cardinals, Toronto and Colorado.

Grichuk is batting .308 with an .861 OPS in 64 games this season for the Rockies. His positional flexibility in the outfield will be valuable for the Angels in the injury absences of Trout, Ward and Jo Adell, leaving Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfroe as the only healthy outfielders on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster.

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