Angels' Former Top Prospect Unsure if He's Past 2023 Head Injury

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 12, 2024

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Chase Silseth was once considered an up-and-coming starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. He won the fifth starter job out of spring training only a few months ago, and seemed to be on his way to solidifying his job in the big leagues.

Three months later, he was back in Triple-A.

Silseth has faced a lot of adversity in his short professional career. He was beaned in the head with a throw last August and has been battling an elbow injury this year.

“I’m just trying to get back there, man,” Silseth said in an exclusive interview with The Athletic. “It feels like there’s been a lot of adversity coming my way. … I think I’m just trying too hard to get back to where I was. Just getting frustrating, not getting back there right away.”

Silseth told reporter Sam Blum he's unsure if last year's head injury has impacted him at all. Some days he feels great and other days, he feels awful. More importantly, he lacks confidence.

He's currently out of the rotation in Salt Lake as he works through his struggles and his recovery from elbow inflammation. His results with the Bees have been poor. The righty has a 9.50 ERA over 18 innings.

“It’s good because I’m learning a lot about myself," Silseth told Blum. "It’s aggravating that I can’t be helping the team up there, but it is what it is. But you’ve got to go through this adversity somehow.”