MINNEAPOLIS -- The back end of the Angels¡¯ bullpen has been a strength this season with strong showings from closer Kenley Jansen and setup reliever Ryan Zeferjahn.
But the Angels, still looking to find consistency from their lower-leverage relievers, shuffled their bullpen on Saturday, recalling lefty Jake Eder from Triple-A Salt Lake and selecting the contract of Jose Fermin from Double-A Rocket City. Right-hander Victor Mederos, who gave up two runs over three innings in Friday¡¯s 11-4 loss to the Twins, was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake, while right-hander Carl Edwards Jr., who allowed two runs in two innings in that contest, was designated for assignment.
The Angels were forced to go to the bullpen early in Saturday afternoon's 5-1 loss to the Twins, as Yusei Kikuchi lasted just two-plus innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and four walks. Fermin made his MLB debut, throwing a scoreless seventh inning and striking out Ryan Jeffers and Carlos Correa. Eder, however, didn¡¯t see action and is looking to make his second career appearance after pitching two innings in the Majors with the White Sox last year.
¡°With the way our bullpen has been used the last couple days, we needed some fresh arms,¡± general manager Perry Minasian said. ¡°They¡¯re two weapons that have been productive.¡±
Even after allowing just one run over six innings of relief Saturday, Angels relievers have still combined to post a 5.02 ERA in 89 2/3 innings this season, which ranks as the fourth-worst mark in the Majors. Minasian, though, believes it¡¯s skewed because of a few blowout losses, but he's trying to find better showings from his front-end relievers. They¡¯re still without flamethrowing reliever Ben Joyce, who is expected to start throwing in a few days after being out since April 11 with right shoulder inflammation.
¡°With Ben out, it changes the dynamics of it,¡± Minasian said. ¡°With that being said, Kenley has been outstanding, Zef has been outstanding. At the back end of games, we've been very competitive when we¡¯ve been tied or had leads late. But I think the front end of the bullpen is where we haven¡¯t done great and have spread some scores the wrong way. As a whole, from a numbers standpoint, it doesn't look great, but at the end of the day, the back-end part of it has been very good.¡±
Eder, 26, was acquired in a March 31 trade with the White Sox and is a former top prospect who pitched at Vanderbilt before being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft by the Marlins. He has plus stuff, as evidenced by his 304 strikeouts in 246 career innings in the Minors, but he has walked 124 and posted a combined 5.12 ERA in that span. This year, he has a 6.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in nine innings at Triple-A. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder been stretched out as a starter, so he's an option in long relief.
¡°He was a top-end prospect at one point,¡± Minasian said. ¡°He's got size, he's got some arm strength, spins the ball and he¡¯s left-handed. So, those are all things that are attractive. He can pitch multiple innings.¡±
Fermin, 23, has been off to a strong start at Double-A Rocket City, as the 6-foot-3, 242-pounder has posted a 1.13 ERA with 15 strikeouts and one walk in eight innings. He¡¯s a rare case of a player from the Dominican Republic signing in their 20s, as the Angels didn¡¯t sign him until October 2023, but it¡¯s proven to be a shrewd pickup.
¡°He¡¯s been throwing the ball great,¡± Minasian said. ¡°Obviously, it's a young arm but it's a big arm. The encouraging thing is he¡¯s throwing strikes. He's been very aggressive in the strike zone. I think we've got multiple options there that have pitched really well, but he was the one that stood above everybody else at this point in time. Our international staff did a great job identifying him, signing him, and our player development staff has done a very good job developing him.¡±
Fermin was excited to make his big league debut, and the late bloomer is looking to build on his solid first showing.
¡°It¡¯s amazing. It feels wonderful,¡± he said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. ¡°It felt great. I was just trying to attack and get outs as quickly as I could.¡±