Angels Release Zac Kristofak

The Angels have released right-hander Zac Kristofak, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment last week when the Angels selected Willie Calhoun’s contract.

There’s no clear indication as to why Kristofak was released rather than passed through outright waivers, although speculatively speaking, it’s possible there’s an injury at play. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers and thus must be traded or released if removed from the 40-man roster by way of a DFA.

The 26-year-old Kristofak made his big league debut earlier this season, pitching two innings and yielding three unearned runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. A 14th-round pick back in 2019, Kristofak struggled early in his pro career, posting ERAs north of 6.00 in the low minors in his first two seasons (2019 and 2021). He’s since posted a combined sub-4.00 mark while climbing to the upper tiers of the minor leagues and, earlier this season, to the majors. In 18 2/3 frames of Triple-A work this year, he’d turned in a 3.38 earned run average — albeit with a shaky 10-to-5 K/BB ratio (13% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate).

If Kristofak indeed has encountered an injury that prevented him from being placed on outright waivers, it’s quite possible he’ll simply re-sign with the Halos on a minor league contract. That’s a common outcome for injured players who are released on the heels of a DFA, though certainly not a universal one. Kristofak will have the opportunity to hear from other clubs upon clearing release waivers.