Angels Scratch Pitcher From Double-A Start: Is Call-Up Next?

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 12, 2024

Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The starting rotation for the Los Angeles Angels is not getting the job done. For the fourth straight game Thursday, an Angels' starter was cut short.

Davis Daniel went 3.2 innings on Monday, Roansy Contreras lasted two frames on Tuesday and Griffin Canning tallied 4.1 on Wednesday. Jack Kochanowicz went three innings on Thursday in his major league debut.

Kochanowicz, a third-round pick out of Harriton High School near Philadelphia, has a career 5.54 ERA in 326 innings in the minors. His two complete-game efforts on June 26 and Saturday earned him his call-up.

Unfortunately for the Angels, Kochanowicz couldn't maintain that resilience against some of the best hitters in the world. What's next for the beleaguered pitching staff?

The Angels scratched Sam Bachman from his Friday start at AA. That could allow them to use him to fill the undecided spot for Sunday’s game in Anaheim.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 11, 2024

The short starts could have a domino effect trickling down to Sam Bachman, who was scratched from Friday's start to start for the Angels on Sunday. Bachman has been pitching well, posting a 4.05 ERA over his last three outings at Double-A.

A former first-round draft pick (Bachman was drafted ninth overall in 2021 out of Miami-Ohio), injuries have limited him to 43 professional games over parts of four seasons. Now healthy, he might be the Angels' best option to take down the bulk of the innings — either as a starter or in relief — in the ultimate game prior to the All-Star break.

Contreras could also be an option, but he has struggled during his brief taste in the rotation, with an 8.22 ERA in 7,.2 innings over three starts. Regarding the rotation moving forward into the All-Star Break, manager Ron Washington hasn't made any decisions.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Washington said. “We’ll just wait and see.”