Angels Rookie With 3.13 ERA Has Season-Ending Injury

Samy Natera Jr.'s season is over.

The 26-year-old rookie, who showed flashes of brilliance in his first major league season, was placed on the injured list retroactive to Sunday with left forearm inflammation. Because the Angels' season will end before his mandatory 15-day stint is up, Natera's season is over.

In 28 games, Natera was 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA. He struck out 48 batters, and walked only 13, in 31.2 innings.

Natera's ERA was an even-more-impressive 2.35 through Sept. 9, before he allowed three runs in one inning while blowing the lead in Washington last Friday.

It was a rare hiccup for the Mexico native, who debuted June 6 and immediately became a bright spot in a beleaguered bullpen.

The Angels drafted Natera out of New Mexico State University in 2022 in the 17th round of the MLB Draft.

After repeating the advanced Class-A level in 2023 and 2024, Natera appeared in five games (three starts) in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. His 0.75 ERA (12 innings pitched, one earned run) for the Mesa Solar Sox foreshadowed the strong 2025 season to come.

Natera went 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in a relief role at Double-A Rocket City last year. That earned him a brief look at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he allowed four earned runs in 9.1 innings (3.86 ERA) for the Angels' top farm team.

In six Cactus League appearances in spring training, Natera struggled to an 8.31 ERA, walking four batters in 4.1 innings. He also got into two WBC games for Mexico in the spring, and wasn't charged with a run despite walking three batters and allowing one hit in 1.1 innings.

Morere to come on this story.