A key piece to the Los Angeles Angels bullpen has been the continued success of several bullpen acquisitions from this past offseason. Carlos Estévez and Matt Moore have been the two that general manager Perry Minasian sought out in free agency, and they’ve both performed quite well.
Estévez is a perfect 13-of-13 in save opportunities at the backend, while also posting a 1.50 ERA with a subtle .193 batting average allowed in 24 innings pitched. His high-powered arsenal was exactly what Minasian banked on when bringing him over to the Angels. And the same goes for Moore, who has blossomed into a star since moving to the bullpen.
Unfortunately for Moore, he suffered an oblique strain this past week. The Angels place him on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 25, a difficult spot for a huge member of their relief core.
He’s been one of the most valuable relievers in MLB according to his 1.44 ERA, 3.73 FIP and .155 batting average allowed. Moore hopes to get himself right to join his club and keep his exception season rolling, per J.P. Hoornstra of the O.C. Register:
“It stinks,” Moore said Saturday. “We all know there are certain things that pop up, so it’s not like you can do much. The reality is, I’m sore on my side so I have to keep coming in here every day, try to make it not sore, try to get back on track. I haven’t had this before so I’m not sure how it feels to compare it to anything, but from (Friday) to (Saturday) it felt better.”
Moore has been good against lefties, but he’s fabulous against right-handed hitters. In fact, the bulk of his workload has come versus opposite-handed matchups, 18.2 innings with a .117 batting average allowed against righties.
The unfortunate part of an oblique is the delicacy of the injury, and the Angels won’t rush him back to game action unless he’s been given the green light by the medical staff. Manager Phil Nevin will have to lean on Aaron Loup to take on the bulk of relief spots that Moore would’ve otherwise had.
Angels call up Ben Joyce with Matt Moore going on IL
To replace the bullpen slot held by Moore, the Angels selected the contract of Ben Joyce, a notable prospect in their farm system.
Joyce joins the Angels just less than one year after he was selected in the third round, No. 89 overall, of the 2022 MLB Draft. The right-hander impressed in Spring Training, and now he gets the chance to make his MLB debut.
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