Los Angeles Angels bullpen has reinforcements on the way
By Tim Haberin
While the Los Angeles Angels’ bullpen hasn’t been much of a weakness so far, it stands to improve with a few key relievers coming off the DL soon.
Some familiar faces will soon return to the Los Angeles Angels bullpen. According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, injured right-handers Huston Street and Cam Bedrosian are on the road to recovery and getting closer to rejoining the Halos.
Street made his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning. Per Fletcher, the 33-year-old is eligible to be activated from the disabled list next week. He has been sidelined with a lat strain since spring training and has yet to pitch for the Angels in 2017.
Bedrosian isn’t quite as close, but he’ll face hitters soon and is expected to begin his own rehab assignment in seven to 10 days. The 25-year-old threw 6.2 innings this season before going down with a groin injury.
Also on the comeback trail is 26-year-old Mike Morin. He logged a scoreless inning of work at Triple-A the same night as Street and is expected to be ready around the same time. However, Fletcher points out that Morin still has minor league options and may not necessarily be added to the big league roster.
The Halos bullpen has been holding its own, but the returns of Street and Bedrosian should help bolster the ranks. Angels relievers own a 3.90 ERA, good for 12th in Major League Baseball. They have received solid performances from some unlikely sources. Veterans Bud Norris, Yusmeiro Petit and Blake Parker have all recorded at least 20 innings and hold ERAs under 3.00.
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With Street and Bedrosian potentially back in the mix, the Angels will need to figure out their new bullpen configuration. Norris – yes, that Bud Norris – has done a surprisingly good job in the closer’s role. He’s converted nine of 11 save opportunities with a 2.66 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11.8 K/9.
Will the Halos mess with something that’s working so well? Probably not, at least not right away. Bedrosian notched three saves before hitting the DL, and Street has of course been a closer for virtually his entire career, boasting 324 lifetime saves. If Norris stumbles, the club will have some viable options to consider.
As for Street, he’s willing to play whatever role the Angels need him to, telling the Deseret News,
"“I’ll pitch where they want me to pitch. I want to close, I don’t think I’ve ever been shy about that. I definitely know what I’m doing in the ninth inning. Give credit to Bud Norris for the job he’s done. It’s the simplest explanation ever, it’s not my decision to make, but I’m not shy about saying that I hope I earn some opportunities, but I’ve got to go up there and earn it.”"
Given Street’s injury history (he missed most of last year with oblique and knee ailments), the team will likely want to see him prove he’s healthy and effective before possibly handing him back the reins.
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At 25-25, the Angels are keeping themselves afloat, but the torrid play of the Astros has them eight games behind in the AL West. They are only two games back in the Wild Card picture, though. If they want to remain a factor in that race, having their bullpen back near full strength should only help.
The bigger issue? Hoping someone, anyone can finally step up and help Mike Trout in the lineup.