Key for Angels in 2022 would be health

ANAHEIM — The two Angels who have won the AL MVP award are healthy. So is his $245 million third baseman.

Los Angeles’ rotation looks promising, starting with two right-handers in the top spots. The bullpen, which has been his Achilles heel for years, now seems like a strong point.

Will 2022 be the year that Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani finally win a playoff game with a team that almost always ends up disappointing their fans? Despite the background, Trout believes optimism is warranted this time.

After all, he’s healthy himself, as are Ohtani and Anthony Rendon.

“I think everyone here is excited to play with Shohei,” Trout said. “Since we signed Rendon (before the 2020 season), I don’t think we’ve played a full lineup too many times. Obviously this year is going to be different and that excites us.”

Trout appeared in just 36 games last year before being ruled out in mid-May with a calf injury. Rendón participated in only 58 matches due to various ailments, mainly related to a hip injury.

He did not play again in the second half of the campaign.

Ohtani played the entire season and did so in spectacular fashion. He will be on the mound and leadoff hitter on April 7, when the Angels open their regular season as hosts to defending Western Division and American League champion Houston.

All three sluggers are healthy and will be supported by a lineup that includes David Fletcher, first baseman Jared Walsh and veteran Justin Upton. Manager Joe Maddon is impressed by the potential of this roster, but he knows health is paramount.

“We need to keep our players on the field to really see the potential of this group,” the pilot emphasized.

The Angels added right-handers Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen to their rotation. They also enlisted the services of two Yankees infielders, Tyler Wade and Andrew Velázquez.

They also acquired relievers Aaron Loup, Archie Bradley and Ryan Tepera.

Gone are infielder Phil Gosselin and outfielder Juan Lagares, as well as starters Alex Cobb and Dylan Bundy, and two relievers, Steve Cishek and Junior Guerra.

Syndergaard is ready to launch his lightning after two years in which he has done very little.

The Angels signed “Thor” Syndergaard, 29, to a one-year, $21 million deal. It was his biggest acquisition in the preseason offseason.

The pitcher has covered just two innings in the major leagues the past two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He now he throws without restrictions.

He hasn’t been given an innings limit, though the Angels’ six-man rotation already provides some protection.

“After two years of not pitching comes what could be the biggest year of my career. I just need to get the tension off my shoulders,” Syndergaard said. “Joe has an amazing clubhouse with a lot of fun and relaxation. But it’s definitely time for him to work.”