The Los Angeles Angels made a series of roster moves, most notably placing Ben Joyce on the 15-day injured list due to ulnar neuritis. He was replaced on the roster by Gerardo Reyes while Max Stassi was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.
The Angels have leaned on their bullpen a great deal this season, finding innings from a few veteran arms and some Minor League call-ups.
Their collective 3.46 ERA is good for seventh-best in Major League Baseball, a welcomed change for Angels fans after years of random reliever performance. Allowing a meager .229 batting average to opposing hitters has made them a formidable option for manager Phil Nevin.
With the recent addition of Joyce, he added his triple-digit fastball to the mix. His arsenal ranked among the best in terms of spin rate, but also with his results.
However, Joyce was removed from Friday’s game with some right-hand irritation, but testing gave the Angels positive news, via J.P. Hoornstra of the O.C. Register:
Joyce’s MRI results revealed no damage to his elbow, which manager Phil Nevin called “the best possible news we could’ve got.”
Joyce has posted a 4.50 ERA in 4 innings pitched, but his electric stuff was a real weapon for Nevin in plus-matchups. He unfortunately struggled with walk issues, which could be a product of his current injury.
In Reyes, the Angels add another hard-throwing right-hander to the mix. He held a 4.64 ERA over 21.1 innings in Triple-A, and over his MLB career he’s posted a 7.45 ERA in 29 innings.
Stassi had been rehabbing a hip injury that began his initial stint on the injured list, but an ongoing family emergency has put any update about his status on hold. There is no update to his timeline, but the Angels would be able to activate him when he’s ready as Stassi has already missed 60 days.
Angels activate Hunter Renfroe
In addition, the Angels reinstated Hunter Renfroe off the paternity list and optioned Jo Adell to Triple-A. Adell impressed during his brief stint with the Angels, but unfortunately, he was the victim of a deep outfield.
Renfroe is hitting .249/.301/.445 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI this season, which is below his career production, but still a solid contributor for the Angels.
Adell returns to Salt Lake batting a solid .278/.365/.593 with 12 doubles, 18 home runs and 43 RBI in 242 plate appearances across 55 games with the Bees this season.
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