The home run ball was a problem for second-year Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval in 2020.
The Mission Viejo native was sidelined at the beginning of summer camp after a positive COVID-19 test in late June, but recovered in time to make his first Opening Day roster.
After two promising starts, the left-hander allowed five runs in three consecutive August starts and was optioned to the alternate training site for nearly three weeks. When he came back, Sandoval made three bulk relief appearances before starting the final game of the season.
All in all, Sandoval pitched nearly as many major league innings in 2020 (36u2154) as he did in 2019 (39u2153), and his walk rate improved.