TEMPE, Ariz. -- After relief prospect Nick Jones walked the leadoff hitter in a ninth-inning tie against the Dodgers in the first game of Spring Training on Saturday, Angels manager Ron Washington wasted no time heading to the mound.

But unlike most managers making a mound visit, Washington didn’t go out there to pull Jones from the game. Washington went out there to encourage him to throw strikes. And it worked, as Jones got through a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in an eventual 7-7 result.

“That was just to make him understand that he's the guy for the job,” Washington said. “Be the difference maker. If you toss the ball over the plate and make these guys hit it, my infielders want to make the play. And my outfielders will run it down. If they get you, they get you, but don’t put them on the bag. Make them get you. I can live with that, but I can’t live with someone throwing the ball all over the place.”

It’s part of Washington’s style as manager, as he said he’s not afraid to be the one to visit pitchers at the mound instead of pitching coach Barry Enright. Washington explained that if he has something to say, he’d rather be the one to do it than simply telling someone else what to say.

“I'm a proactive guy,” Washington said. “I can tell my pitching coach, 'Go out there and tell him this.' He can go out there and deliver it the way he wants to deliver. When I've got a message, I'm going to do it. That's who I am.”

Major League Baseball changed the rules this season to limit mound visits to four per nine innings, but Washington doesn’t think that will be an issue.

“I'm not worried about mound visits,” Washington said. “If I can stop some damage from happening, I'm not worried about any mound visits. I'm not sitting over there [thinking], ‘Well, you know, I've got two visits left.’ No, no, no. Because if I can stop stuff from happening, I'm going to try to stop it, because that might be the game right there.”

Washington added that he believes that his visit with Jones will be beneficial for the pitcher going forward as well. The 25-year-old lefty posted a 3.27 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 66 innings across three levels last year, including Triple-A Salt Lake. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League.

Jones isn't on the 40-man roster. He is expected to open the year at Triple-A, but he is certainly on the big league radar.

“You never know when you can trigger something,” Washington said. “When I went out there, the kid was blank. But when I talked to him, he showed me what he’s made of. That's something he could carry with him for the rest of his life. His heart was coming out of his chest. If I touched him, my hand would go like that [and move]. But he settled down and showed what he’s capable of doing.”

FLORES TURNING HEADS EARLY IN CAMP

Catching prospect Juan Flores turned 18 years old on Feb. 13, but he is already impressing in his first Major League camp.

A Venezuela native, Flores signed with the Angels in 2023 for $300,000. He saw his first action in pro ball last year, hitting .236/.352/.388 with six homers, seven doubles and 26 RBIs in 46 games. He’s also considered a strong defender with an elite throwing arm.

Special assistant Kurt Suzuki liked what he saw from Flores, and Washington went as far as to compare him to a Hall of Famer on Sunday. But the skipper also cautioned that Flores still needs a ton of experience before he’s a finished product.

“He’s a little Pudge Rodriguez,” Washington said. “He has a skill set that some veterans take three, four or five years to gather. He has it already. But he has to continue to work and get better. He’s already pretty good. He’s 18 years old and he’s got to play.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 

• Washington talked about lineup construction, stating his plan to have Luis Rengifo or Mickey Moniak lead off, with Nolan Schanuel in the two-hole. He also said Mike Trout will hit third and Anthony Rendon will bat cleanup, then he went through how he thinks the rest of the lineup could look come Opening Day.

• Veteran Carlos Estévez will open the season as the closer. He talked about what he went through last season and how he wants to be more consistent this year.

• The bullpen is mostly set after the Angels made several signings this offseason, but here’s a look at 10 relievers worth watching this spring.

• Infielder Miguel Sanó and reliever José Cisnero arrived to Spring Training on Sunday after dealing with visa issues in the Dominican Republic. Sanó, who is competing for a bench spot and missed the 2023 season with a left knee and tibia injury, said he’s lost 58 pounds and is currently healthy.

• Albert Pujols was hired as the manager of Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League on Thursday. Pujols, who is currently a special advisor for the Angels as part of his personal service contract, has stated that he wants to become a manager in the Majors.

The Angels made a surprise move on Sunday, releasing veteran catcher Francisco Mejía after just one Spring Training game. The Halos didn’t see a path for him to make the team, and they wanted to allow the seven-year veteran the chance to find his way with another club early in spring.

Logan O’Hoppe remains the club’s primary catcher with Matt Thaiss as a backup. Chad Wallach offers further depth, while the club also has Caleb Hamilton and Zach Humphreys in camp.

Mejía was signed early in the offseason to a Minor League deal and slid down the depth chart. He struggled defensively in his debut, but general manager Perry Minasian downplayed that as a reason for his release.

“He wants to be in the big leagues,” Minasian said. “He’s been in the big leagues a long time, and as [our roster is] currently constructed, it would’ve been very difficult to make this team, which was his goal.”

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