Kent Bewley's News Story Collection

On Tues, Aug 4, following the MLB trade deadline, the Los Angeles Angels made some roster moves to fill the spots of departed players. One of the moves they made was activating fireball reliever Ben Joyce from the injured list to serve as the full-time closer going forward after Ryan Zeferjahn and Kirby Yates were traded at the deadline the day before. Joyce hasn’t appeared in a big league game since April of last season, so his return has been anticipated for quite some time. Another big move that the team made was cutting Jorge Soler from the roster. Soler’s offensive numbers were lagging this season and with a bad .203 average and the designated hitter spot mostly occupied by him, Soler carried very little usefulness to the team other than his bat.

Moisés Ballesteros was called up to fill Soler’s spot on the roster and he can fit seamlessly into the DH role while Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Heineman both remain on the roster for now as catchers. Adam Frazier was also activated off the injured list as he hasn’t appeared in a big league game in two months due to an elbow injury. With six infielders now along with four outfielders, the Halos look to mix and match while also recalling pitchers Shaun Anderson and Ryan Johnson to fill up a couple of spots on the pitching staff.

Another reliever named Blake Weiman was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake for the Halos and he is the third southpaw reliever in the bullpen along with Samy Natera Jr and Mitch Farris. Who the fifth starter in the Angels’ rotation will be is unknown, with Johnson likely to reclaim his spot after he was sent down following a rocky start on Fri, Jul 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers. A potential for relievers starting as “openers” could be possible, while bulk pitchers like Anderson, Farris and Brett Kerry could eat up some innings.

For now, the return of Joyce brings much needed stability for the bullpen and Joyce will have a chance to prove himself worthy once again versus major league bats in save situations. Joyce famously threw a 105.6 mph pitch to strike out Tommy Edman in a Freeway Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept 3, 2024. Whether Joyce can keep himself healthy on a long-term basis is to be determined, but one thing is for sure: the closer role is his to keep and his to lose.