I had simular thing with my LA120 deck and was going to put a angled zerk in the spindle...but the zerk is swedged not screwed in. What I ended up doing was rotating the spindle 1/4 turn. Not sure if it would help in your case but maybe worth a try.

Do you have a flex-hose grease gun? Isn't there a notch in the sheild to allow access. I thought there was.

the belt guard is one screw and you will only have to do it once per year. Its really not that bad.

Ahh, I wondered if it might be pressed in, it looks like it has a boxed base, but I couldn't get a good look at it. I may wait until I drop the deck to do a full service. I'm sure its fine, the other spindle barely took a full pump and the tractor was serviced last year at JD.
Thanks for the input, kind of ticked me off that they would design it that way though, wonder if its a gentle nudge to get you to get all the servicing done at the dealer.

You could have more than one option in regard to "making the zerk accessible". Certainly, swapping an angled fitting for the straight fitting would "seem" to be the least difficult way to go, but even in that, there could be a problem!!! Lots of OEMs have begun using "threadless, press in" zerk fittings in recent years. This type of grease fitting is almost useless in any configuration other than "short & straight". Long or angle versions of these "press in" zerks are guaranteed to loosen and come out of their hole, either from vibration in use, or from pushing the grease gun onto them when you lube, or from the "back pressure" of the grease if the component "doesn't want" the grease. Look at the zerk. If it has a "hex nut" design (6 "wrench flats" for a wrench or socket") it is probably threaded (though I've seen some "press in" zerks that had "wrench flats" but no threads) and you can just substitute a 45 degree or 90 degree zerk for the straight one. If the zerk is simply "round" at the base, it is a "press in".
A second option might be for you to remove the mounting bolts that secure the spindle assembly to the deck, and rotate the entire spindle assembly 90 degrees so that the OEM zerk is oriented for better access by your grease gun. That option will only work if the spindle casting has an "equally centered" mounting footprint. If it uses an "off center" mounting pattern, the spindle can only be mounted in a single orientation.
Another option would be for you to install a "remote grease zerk" by threading an adapter fitting into the spindle and running a steel "grease line" to an accessible location. Use caution and care in implementing the remote grease line option as the fittings and steel lines (automotive brake pipes) must be compatible and seal tightly AND the steel lines must be routed out of reach of any belts or tensioner pulleys. The steel lines must also be fastened down or anchored securely against vibration or they will eventually break. Remote grease zerks are commonly used in lots of industrial applications where a plain zerk would be inaccessible, or where the machinery must be "greased while in use" (machinery that you wouldn't want to, or were unable to, shut down for routine greasing).
Another option that might be available would be to "make an access hole" in the cover, aligning with the OEM grease zerk, to allow your grease gun tip to reach the zerk by going through the access hole. This option would depend on a few conditions being present. The shape and dimensions of the cover would have to be such that you could create the access hole in the cover using a hole saw, and that the distance from the hole to the zerk be only a few inches max (unless you fabricate an "extension tip" for your grease gun).
Getting back to the possibility of "press in" zerks being used by the OEM. I have "replaced" press ins with threaded zerks.......but it required drilling the OEM hole larger to allow "threading" with a 1/8" NPT tap and using zerks with 1/8" NPT threads. Drilling and tapping into the body of a spindle (or other component) without dismantling the spindle presents some issues in itself (cuttings and shavings in the interior cavity). When I have no other choice but to "drill and tap" in these situations, I first try to pump the cavity as full as I can get it, with grease using an "adapted grease pipe" made from "nylon spaghetti tubing". The thin tubing connects to metal fittings which are then fitted with a zerk. The zerk connects to the grease gun and I then insert the end of the tubing deep into the cavity through the former OEM zerk hole. I pump the cavity full of grease until it is "oozing out of" the zerk hole. Then I withdraw the tubing. The cavity is now "packed full" of grease. The grease will serve as a "barrier" to keep cuttings from falling into the cavity. Using a "drill stop" on the correct size drill bit (you only want the drill bit to go about 1/2" deep, or just the thickness of the "wall" you are drilling into), drill the OEM hole to the new diameter. Next you will tap the hole using a 1/8" NPT tap. Tap only deep enough for the new zerk to thread into the hole. This might require you to tap a little, back out the tap, and "try" the zerk to see if it threads in. Once you get the new zerk to thread in, stop tapping. NPT threads are "tapered" and you don't want to tap the full extent of the tap into the hole or the fit of the zerk will be too loose. After you have tapped the hole to satisfaction, insert the spaghetti grease line into the cavity again (go as deep as you can) and pump a "significant quantity" of grease into the cavity. The grease being expelled from the zerk hole will carry all the cutting debris out through the zerk hole. At this time you can install your angled zerk or your remote zerk line (whichever you have chosen to do).

As usual, those of "few words" covered a couple of points while I pecked away. :^) That's OK, I still enjoy outlining (and sharing) some of the "obscure details" of overcoming problems that I have encountered in my past. Stuff can be applied to different situations than just "spindles".

Sorry, I didn't mean the plastic cover, there is also a metal bar that goes over that spindle. I didn't realize it was just a screw holding it on though, I assumed nut and bolt, which still wouldn't be that bad, just more than I was planning to do at the time. I'll take a closer look this afternoon.
Thanks again, great community here.