ANAHEIM — Chase Silseth’s strong start at Triple-A earned him an opportunity in the big leagues.
Where that opportunity takes him remains to be seen.
The right-hander was officially listed as a part of the Angels’ bullpen when he joined the team on Wednesday. He’s been a starter for his entire two-year pro career, including an 0.90 ERA in his first four starts of the season at Triple-A, so that door isn’t closed either.
“I think (relief) is a role that could be great for him, but it also could mean he could work into that starting spot too,” Manager Phil Nevin said. “There might be some chances for that. We just felt like we got the best arm that we have going down there and he’s had some success in the major leagues. Love his stuff.”
Right-handed reliever Austin Warren felt some discomfort in his elbow before Tuesday’s game, prompting a trip to the injured list. The Angels could have brought back reliever Jimmy Herget or right-hander Zack Weiss, who is also on the 40-man roster.
The advantage to bringing up a starter like Silseth is that he could provide the Angels with three or four innings out of the bullpen if they need it. The Angels’ bullpen has been thin the past few games because of how frequently the top relievers have been used.
Silseth was set to start at Triple-A on Tuesday night. He was in the middle of the pre-game meeting when he got word that he wasn’t starting, but instead heading to Anaheim.
“At 6:10 they said ‘Can you make a flight at 7:55?’” Silseth said. “I said ‘I’m on it.’”
Silseth is an intriguing arm because a case can be made for him as a starter or a reliever.
His performance so far this year as a starter was encouraging. The Angels could need a starter in the big leagues if José Suarez doesn’t quickly iron out the issues that led him to a 10.26 ERA in his first four starts. Nevin said he’s going to start on Sunday in Milwaukee, but if that doesn’t go well, he could be headed to the bullpen.
If the Angels do replace Suarez in the rotation, they could choose between Tucker Davidson or Silseth.
The Angels also have struggled to get consistent work out of their bullpen, and Silseth could be part of the answer to that problem.
Last season he typically started off strong but lost his velocity and command after 40 or 50 pitches. If the Angels only needed him for one or two innings, he might be better. He could even see an uptick on his fastball, which averaged 95.4 mph last season. Silseth has also started throwing a cutter, and he said the velocity on that pitch has increased since spring training.
The only current Angels reliever with above-average velocity is right-hander Carlos Estévez.
“I’m gonna do whatever they ask me to do, whatever I can do to help the team win,” Silseth said. “Just give it my best. (Relieving) is foreign territory, but it’s still 60 feet, six inches. At the end of the day, that’s what it is.”
Nevin said he can envision anything with Silseth.
“If he’s that successful (in relief), if it turns into something like that, you never know what you’re gonna get,” Nevin said. “We’ve seen plenty of guys come into this league as starters and turn into relievers and end up doing some great things in this game. We’ve seen a lot of guys that have come in as relievers and turned into starters and done great things in this game too. It remains to be seen. I just know we have a really talented arm and how I’m gonna use him will just be kind of dictated by what the game is calling for.”
CANNING STAYS
Right-hander Griffin Canning’s next turn in the rotation falls on Monday, which is an off day, but the Angels are not going to send him to the bullpen or Triple-A, Nevin said.
“Griffin is going to make starts,” Nevin said. “He’s pitched too well not for us to keep him out there. He’s earned that right.”
Canning has a 4.11 ERA in three starts, allowing two or three runs in each game.
The Angels haven’t officially set their rotation beyond the next four games, with Shohei Ohtani working on Thursday and Tyler Anderson, Reid Detmers and Suarez pitching over the weekend in Milwaukee.
The Angels then start a series in St. Louis next Tuesday. Ohtani is going to pitch on Wednesday, but they haven’t decided who will pitch the other two games. They could use Canning and Patrick Sandoval for those games, with the order depending on which pitcher they want to get the extra rest.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 3-0, 0.64) vs. A’s (LHP JP Sears, 0-1, 4.98), Thursday, 1:07 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM