Angels RHP Griffin Canning has setback, won't be ready for opener

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Los Angeles Angels right-hander Griffin Canning won't be ready for opening day after a setback in his recovery from a back injury.

Canning said Wednesday that the setback occurred a few weeks ago. The Orange County native and UCLA product was a strong candidate for the sixth spot in the Angels' rotation this spring.

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"They basically said I reaggravated it," Canning said. "I just have to take a couple of steps back in my rehab. ... I had progressed. I was up to 100%, fully cleared and everything, but it's part of it. I understand that. It's not always going to be a perfect recovery."

Canning hopes to begin playing catch later this week, but he won’t throw off a mound for four weeks, general manager Perry Minasian said.

His latest injury is another complication for the Angels as they attempt to settle on a pitching staff for the new season. Minasian said he isn't done looking for outside talent to bolster a staff that was 22nd in the majors in ERA and 24th in WHIP last season, the latest in a long series of underwhelming mound performances during the Halos' seven-year playoff drought.

FILE - Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Seattle. Canning won’t be ready for opening day after a setback in his recovery from a back injury. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

"We like where we’re at," Minasian said. "Now, can we get better? Absolutely. There’s areas we can improve. Rotation is a spot we’d like to improve. Bullpen is still an area we’d like to improve. Offensively and defensively,