Angels’ Reid Detmers Faces Potential For Lost Year

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 5, 2024

John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

Reid Detmers could soon be returning to the Los Angeles Angels.

Detmers needs to return to the majors by Aug. 19 to have a chance to stay in the same service-time class he would have been without the demotion. If he maintains as soon as Friday.

If he comes back Aug. 20 or later, the Angels would control Detmers for four more seasons and he would not earn service time for this season.

The door was open for Reid Detmers to get back to the big leagues with a good outing today at AAA.

3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3 HR. He has a 6.79 ERA at AAA.

The are long-term career consequence for him if he's not back by Aug. 19. https://t.co/i7gPVwI11K

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 4, 2024

The left-hander made his 10th start at Triple-A on Sunday. He gave up six earned runs in 3.2 innings of work, giving him an earned run average of 6.79 with Salt Lake.

Los Angeles pitching coach Barry Enright has been in touch with Detmers and Salt Lake pitching coach Shane Loux.

“In my communication with Shane, people think he is,” Enright said on Saturday. “Obviously we want him to have a stretch of success. He’s had two that have been real good. … If he has another good one, which is tomorrow, I hope to see him soon.”

Because of early-season struggles, the Angels optioned Detmers to Triple-A on June 2. He hasn't pitched for the Angels since June 1 when he gave up five earned runs on four hits in 3.2 innings against the Seattle Mariners.

At the time, his ERA was 6.14.

Since being in Salt Lake this season, Detmers has had similar results but has progressed over his last two starts.

Detmers had a 6.19 ERA in his first nine starts but has only allowed three earned runs in 10 innings in his last two starts, with 14 strikeouts. His best outing was on Tuesday when he struck out nine in five innings.

“The slider was a lot better,” Enright said. “He’s feeling confident down there. I think that he’s showing he’s ready to be up here, and I’m hoping to see him soon.”

Enright told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that Detmers hasn't made any changes to his mechanics but he has had to change his mental approach to pitching.

“A lot of times it showed up in big situations, sometimes it showed up in two-strike situations,” Enright said. “Trying to make a pitch too nasty. Trying to throw the fastball too hard and by somebody. The big thing for him is getting to two strikes and all of the sudden it’s 3-and-2.

“Putting guys away when you get there is going to be a work in progress as command improves. More so it’s a mentality of trying to make them hit it instead of trying to make them miss it.”