The Angels designated infielder Jack Mayfield for assignment, the team announced. A 40-man roster spot was required for left-hander Jose Suarez, who is back on the 40-man after an injured list placement last week.
Acquired from the Braves in a February trade, Mayfield received three plate appearances over two games with Anaheim this season. The 30-year-old’s ability to play shortstop, second base, and third base made him a useful bench piece in Houston, as Mayfield appeared in 49 games with the Astros over the 2019-20 seasons. Atlanta claimed Mayfield off waivers back in November.
Suarez was assigned to the Angels’ alternate training site at the end of Spring Training. An international signing for the Angels back in 2014, Suarez debuted in the big leagues in 2019 and posted a 7.11 ERA over 81 innings. Matters didn’t improve for Suarez last season, as he made two starts but was torched for 10 earned runs over just 2 1/3 total innings. While the early returns in the majors haven’t been good, the 23-year-old Suarez has some solid numbers (3.68 ERA, 25.4% strikeout rate) over 335 1/3 career frames in the Angels’ farm system.