The Angels announced they’ve optioned right-hander Jack Kochanowicz to Triple-A Salt Lake. Jake Eder is up to provide an extra bullpen arm for this weekend’s series against the Diamondbacks.
This is the first change that the Angels have made to their rotation all season. The quintet of Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano, Tyler Anderson, Kyle Hendricks and Kochanowicz has combined to start all 93 games. That reflects both remarkable health and a lack of upper minors alternatives. Kikuchi is the only member of the starting five with a sub-4.00 ERA or an above-average strikeout rate. Soriano has allowed an even four earned runs per nine with huge ground-ball numbers. Anderson and Hendricks are soft-tossing fifth starter types.
Kochanowicz has been one of the least effective starters in MLB. He carries a 6.03 ERA with a well below-average 15.6% strikeout rate and an elevated 11% walk percentage. The 6’7″ righty is one of six pitchers with at least 15 starts while allowing over six earned runs per nine. Only Randy Vásquez, Erick Fedde and Antonio Senzatela have a worse strikeout/walk rate differential.
The 24-year-old Kochanowicz hasn’t tossed a quality start since the middle of May. He had his worst outing of the season against Texas last night. He surrendered eight runs on as many hits and three walks without escaping the third inning. He’ll spend at least the next 15 days in Triple-A unless he’s recalled in the corresponding move for an injured list placement.
Anderson, Kikuchi and Soriano are lined up for this weekend’s series. They’ll be able to reset their rotation coming out of the All-Star Break. They won’t need to tab a new fifth starter until July 22. Caden Dana and Victor Mederos are on the 40-man roster and working out of the rotation at Salt Lake. Neither is having a great season. Mederos has a better ERA with superior control, while Dana has shown slightly better swing-and-miss ability. Chase Silseth is also on the 40-man but has been on the minor league injured list since May and recently started a rehab assignment at the complex. Sam Aldegheri was just optioned back to Double-A this week.
Sam Blum of The Athletic suggests the Angels might stretch Carson Fulmer out as a starter. He worked 5 1/3 innings of long relief behind Kochanowicz last night. Fulmer had a 3.98 earned run average in 54 1/3 Triple-A frames — mostly as a reliever — before being called up this week. He owns a 5.38 ERA across 115 career big league outings. Reid Detmers has worked out of the bullpen all season, mostly one inning at a time. The Halos haven’t ruled out moving him back to the rotation at some point, but he’s their best setup option in a thin relief group. He’d also need to build back to a traditional starting workload over multiple appearances.
As explored in this afternoon’s Trade Deadline Outlook, the Angels could pursue a starter. Despite a thin roster, they’re within four games of a Wild Card spot in a cluttered American League. They’ve resisted selling at prior deadlines, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re at least soft buyers while they’re within range of the playoff picture.
Not surprised. Hopefully he gets control of his splitter dialed in and comes back better.
Finally
I said it after spring, they made a mistake by going with Kochanowicz instead of Detmers in the rotation.
With the exception of a few starts, Kochanowicz has been pretty brutal to watch. He’s a contact pitcher (few strikeouts) who tends to get hit hard.
@orange2001. To start the season it looked like it was right move. Detmers wasn’t looking great in the beginning. Hendricks, detmers, and kochanowicz are pretty much the same take your heart medicine and enjoy the ride. it will be interesting to see who the starter is maybe fulmer for a bit.
Agreed 100%. Detmers should’ve got the job to start the season.
to his credit, he had a nice stretch of starts between the middle of May and the middle of June, had the two hit, 8K outing against the Yanks (2HR, 3BB) that was a nice start for Kochanowicz this season.
I bet the uniform company had fun getting that name on the back of a jersey.
Gasunheit
What took so long?
Saving money on ink.
And just after the Uniform Person FINALLY was able
to find a way to fit the name
“KOCHANOWICZ”
on the back of a uniform,
Yes, it has taken this long !!.
This is so the Angels can carry an extra reliever. They won’t need a 5th stater til the 22nd at the Mets and will likely recall Kochanowicz to take the ball.
Would like to buy a vowel. “E”