Angels’ bullpen failure in Cleveland prompts change

May 14, 2023

CLEVELAND — One day after a messy eighth inning cost them a win in Cleveland, the Angels are making a change to their bullpen.

Reliever Ryan Tepera was designated for assignment Sunday after he allowed two home runs in a six-run eighth inning by the Guardians in an 8-6 Angels loss. Right-handed reliever Matt Weiss was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake.

“It’s some results stuff, and the velocity was down a little bit,” manager Phil Nevin said. “We just felt this was the right move to make to better our team.”

Tepera, 35, was in the final year of a two-year, $14 million deal he signed with the Angels before the 2022 season. The Angels will still have to pay him $5.25 million for the rest of the year.

After finishing last season with a 3.61 ERA, Tepera had struggled to find consistency in his second year with the Angels and had a 7.27 ERA in 8-2/3 innings.

Tepera entered the eighth inning Saturday with runners on first and third. He immediately allowed a three-run home run from Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor that gave the Guardians the lead after the Angels had built a four-run cushion.

He also gave up a solo home run two batters later from Andrés Giménez. The home runs were the first two he allowed this season, but he also had allowed 15 hits and had a 2.07 WHIP.

Weiss, 30, will join the Angels for the first time this season. He pitched 13 1/3 innings last year and had a 3.38 ERA, surrendering seven walks and seven hits.

He started the year in Triple-A and owned a 6.75 ERA in 12 innings.

RENDON UPDATE

Nevin said third baseman Anthony Rendon was still being evaluated Sunday after he left Saturday’s game in the sixth inning with left groin tightness. The team hasn’t decided how long he’ll be out, but Nevin said he’ll miss “a couple days, at least.”

Rendon alerted Nevin of the injury when he was on the mound for a pitching change.

“The groin gets a little tricky sometimes, and we don’t want to push it,” he said. “He felt it on a ground ball he fielded earlier in the game. When I went out to make the pitching move, he looked at me and said, ‘Hey, I’m not sure I can go side to side right now. I’m starting to feel it a bit more.’ So I felt it was the right time to get him out of there and make sure our defense was OK.

“It hurts him internally, as far as having to miss games. He doesn’t like that at all, but hopefully this is just a short thing and he’ll be back. We’re certainly going to miss his bat. The at-bats had been tremendous.”

Gio Urshela was penciled in as the starter at third base for Sunday’s game.

TROUT HAS DAY OFF

Center fielder Mike Trout wasn’t in the lineup Sunday for a scheduled off-day. Mickey Moniak, who hit a home run and stole two bases Saturday in his season debut, took his spot on defense.

Trout was also hit on the left elbow by a pitch in Saturday’s game. He needed a minute or so to shake off the pain, but he remained in the game.

Nevin said he’ll still be available off the bench.

“Got a good chunk of the elbow, and it actually got him in the thigh, too,” Nevin said. “He got dinged good, but he’ll be all right.”

AROUND THE BASES

Nevin said the swing timing for first baseman Jared Walsh (headaches, insomnia) appears to be “coming back really quick” after Walsh went 2 for 3 in his second rehab assignment game Saturday in Triple-A. …

Catcher Chad Wallach “feels great,” according to Nevin, and has a “good chance” of coming off the seven-day injured list Monday when the Angels begin their next series against the Orioles. …