Ryan Tepera left today’s game with a shoulder issue and will receive further examination, Angels manager Phil Nevin told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters. Tepera needed 33 pitches to get through two-thirds of an inning against the Red Sox today, with two hits, a walk, and two catcher’s interference calls on Matt Thaiss resulting in three runs (one earned).
Losing Tepera to injury wouldn’t help an Anaheim bullpen that has already had its share of struggles in the early going, though Tepera has been part of those struggles with a 13.50 ERA over 3 1/3 innings of work. The veteran reliever signed a two-year, $14MM free agent deal with Los Angeles during the 2021-22 offseason and was pretty solid in 2022, posting a 3.61 ERA over 57 1/3 innings with some elite soft-contact rates. [UPDATE: the Angels placed Tepera on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation on Sunday. Tepera doesn’t think the injury is too serious, as he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other reporters that he plans to start throwing again after a few days off.]
More from around both the AL and NL West divisions as Jackie Robinson Day comes to a close….
- The Rockies will call up right-hander Noah Davis from Triple-A to start Sunday’s game against the Mariners. (The Denver Gazette’s Danielle Allentuck was among those who reported the news.) With German Marquez now on the 15-day IL, Davis was seen as a logical candidate to take Marquez’s spot in the rotation, as Davis is already on Colorado’s 40-man roster and has plenty of experience as a starter during his time in the Rockies’ and Reds’ farm systems. Davis is just a week away from his 26th birthday, and he made his MLB debut in the form of one inning of relief work with the Rockies last season.
- Zach Davies was placed on the 15-day injured list due a strained left oblique last weekend, and Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo told reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that Davies will need “several weeks” to recover. Lovullo was a little vague about the nature of Davies’ injury, stopping short of calling it a Grade 2 oblique strain, but also saying it was “more than” a Grade 1 strain. Regardless, Davies now looks to miss some significant time, so Drey Jameson might get a long look at the replacement in Arizona’s rotation.
- X-rays were negative on Rangers right-hander Jon Gray after Gray was hit on the elbow by a Yanier Diaz line drive in tonight’s game. Texas manager Bruce Bochy even told MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and other reporters that Gray isn’t expected to miss his next turn in the rotation. An upcoming off-day on Thursday will give Gray an extra day to rest and recover, and while plans could change if his elbow/forearm area continues to be sore, it still counts as some real good fortune for Gray in avoiding what looked like a potentially serious injury. Counting today’s abbreviated two-inning outing, Gray has a 3.21 ERA over three starts and 14 innings thus far in 2023.
Great news!
I guess, as the first commenter, I’m supposed to be obligated to say’Wow!’, or something… For some reason, I have no idea why. Someone told me that though.
Wow, I mean, I can’t believe this guy didn’t say “Wow.” What a missed opportunity. You never know when another chance will come around again, if ever. You really gotta learn to seize the day, Mr.#FireFarhan.
Right, I know. I blew it. In my defense, look who I’ve been watching, and therefore learning from.
Misspelled Yainer Diaz…..
Yep. That’s also why his name doesn’t contain a link like the others.
Thaiss had 2 catcher interference calls!!??
In the same inning!!??
Whoa!
The Angels do a great job of finding new ways to lose.
Dave O’Brien made a comment during today’s game after the second Catcher’s interference call that you couid go the whole season and not see two Catcher’s interference calls in the same game, let alone the same inning. While that’s not entirely true (happened twice last season) it is rare though its becoming more common.
Interestingly the all time leader in benefiting from Catcher’s interference is Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury reach base 31 times in his career thanks to the Catcher. On the flip side Gary Sanchez is the active leader in calls against the Catcher with 10 (and counting)
When he was with Cleveland, Sandy Leon was notorious for committing catcher’s interference, sometimes in the same inning.
Time to call up Joyce and let Thiass go to waivers since I think most teams would pass on him. Let Wallach back up O’Hoppe until Stassi comes back. This isn’t the time to just wait and see how things will turn out. Make hard moves in order to be as competitive as possible.
The Angels have so many bad pitchers they demoted an Average one in Wantz.
This injury at least gets a better pitcher up. I said Perry needs to start being held accountable for this pen. I think it has blown six games..
And on the Thaiss first catcher’s interference, if he hadn’t slown down the bat, that ball would have been off the wall, The first catcher’s interference was a break.
On the bright side, looks like Wantz will be back up.