ANAHEIM, Calif. — What was originally thought to be a minor shoulder injury was serious enough for the Los Angeles Angels to transfer reliever Ben Joyce to the 60-day injured list Friday.
The 24-year-old right-hander, whose 105.5 mph fastball to strike out Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman last September was the hardest pitch thrown in the major leagues in 2024, went on the 15-day injured list because of shoulder inflammation on April 11.
Joyce tried to play catch in late April and again Tuesday but was shut down both times because of discomfort. He is scheduled to visit a doctor and likely will undergo more imaging next week.
“It’s just not getting better,” Joyce said before Friday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. “It’s frustrating for me and everyone else involved. I just want to pitch and be part of the team.
“I don’t know exactly what the concern level is. We’re evaluating it as we go. But at this point, it’s been a month (on the IL), so even if we start a throwing program, it’s going to be another 30 days. So it makes sense right now to go on the 60-day IL.”
Joyce opened the season as Kenley Jansen’s primary setup man and went 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA in five games. He went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 31 appearances last season, striking out 33 and walking 14 in 34 2/3 innings.
The loss of Joyce has left manager Ron Washington with only two reliable relievers to hold late narrow leads — Jansen and right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn. Angels relievers entered Friday with a 7.15 bullpen ERA, the second-worst in baseball.
“Tremendously,” Washington said, when asked how much Joyce’s absence has impacted the bullpen. “When he went down, it affected us, and we’re still trying to find our footing in the bullpen. He’s an impact-type pitcher. He was the kind of guy we could use to finish an inning, give us another inning, and we miss that.”
Washington said it is unclear who will be responsible for holding leads in the sixth and seventh innings.
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