Angels' Ron Washington Gets Brutally Honest About Sending Reid Detmers to Minors

Washington revealed what has gone wrong for Detmers lately, precpitating his demotion to Triple-A.

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers was optioned to the minor leagues after a disastrous start against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. Detmers allowed five earned runs across 3.2 innings pitched, and the Angels were blown out 9-0 by their division rival.

This game followed a disastrous May for Detmers, who gave up at least three earned runs in his last eight starts. After a solid beginning to the season in which the former first-round draft pick allowed no more than one earned run in each of his first four starts, and posted a 3.34 April ERA, Detmers struggled. He posted a 9.49 ERA in May, and heads to Triple-A Salt Lake with a 6.14 ERA and a 3-6 record in the majors. The Angels won each of his first four starts this season, but have now lost seven of their last eight.

Angels manager Ron Washington credited Detmers' struggles with his command on his pitches and opposing hitters as a primary reason for his poor performance lately.

“He hasn’t been able to consistently put hitters away,” Washington said, via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “Like today, he was ahead of them all day long. And next thing you know the count is 3-2. Just couldn’t command his slider, which is his pitch. Couldn’t command his fastball. The whole idea is we just want to get him in an environment where it’s not results that you’re going to be worrying about, and find your stuff. This is not something that’s going to be permanent, or we feel is detrimental to him. We just feel like he needs to be in an environment where he can re-find who he is.”

Now, Detmers will play for Triple-A Salt Lake as he tries to rebound and get back to what made him a touted prospect and a major leaguer at age 21. Now 24, the left-hander returns to the minor leagues for the first time since 2022.