ANAHEIM – The Angels lost another starting pitcher on Saturday when right-hander Jose Soriano was placed on the injured list due to fatigue in his right arm.
Soriano (6-7) was removed from Friday’s 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves after throwing 76 pitches in 3 2/3 innings in the opener of the three-game series.
“My eyes told me he was tired in the third inning, and when we got to the fourth, he was really tired,” Angels manager Ron Washington said before Saturday’s game. “I took him out so he wouldn’t get hurt, because he was going to get through it.”
Soriano, 25, has been one of the Angels’ most effective starters this season, winning his first two starts in June and posting a 1.93 ERA in those games before an abdominal infection sidelined him for three weeks.
Since returning from the injured list, he is 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA in seven starts.
“I’m not worried that it’s a serious injury, it’s just the beginning of fatigue,” Soriano said through an interpreter. “I’m just going to work on getting back as soon as possible.”
Washington does not expect Soriano to be out for the rest of the season.
“His arm is tired and we just want to give him a rest,” Washington said. “When he comes back, we’ll try to get him involved and finish the season.”
RENDON UPDATE
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon was not in the roster Saturday, a day after he was hit in the right elbow by a pitch and had to leave the game, but Washington said Rendon was feeling better Saturday and could possibly return for the series finale on Sunday.
“I’m giving him the day off,” Washington said.
Due to injuries, Rendon has only played in 41 of the Angels’ 122 games this season.
BURKE’S DEBUT
One of the exciting events in Friday’s victory was the team debut of left-hander Brock Burke, who threw 1 2/3 innings as a relief pitcher to earn the win.
Burke came out of the bullpen in the fifth inning of a 2-2 game with runners on first and second base and one out. He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, then threw three balls in a row to Sean Murphy before rebounding and putting him out with a strikeout.
Burke ended the threat with a flyout and then pitched a scoreless sixth inning before the Angels took the lead in the second half of the inning.
“That was definitely the biggest situation I’ve been in this year and it was nice to get out of there,” Burke said. “It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had a zero in an outing, so it was definitely a good start.”
Burke had allowed at least one run in five consecutive appearances with the Texas Rangers before being designated for assignment on Sunday.
The Angels signed him on Tuesday.
“We can certainly do some things with him to make him more consistent in his strike zone,” Washington said. “I hope it works out because he has an incredible arm.”
Burke made his major league debut as the Rangers’ starting pitcher against the Angels on August 20, 2019, throwing six scoreless innings in a make-up game that had been canceled seven weeks earlier following the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
LOPEZ DEBUT
Jack Lopez made his team debut on Saturday night and was the seventh second baseman used by the Angels this season.
Lopez, 31, was recalled Friday from Triple-A Salt Lake, where the right-hander had a .274 batting average with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs.
His major league experience includes 13 at-bats in seven games with the Boston Red Sox in 2021. He has been playing at the Triple-A level since 2018.
“Drive runners in, move runners aside, beat guys out of the way with bunts, whatever Wash asks me to do, I’m going to do my best to do it and win the game,” Lopez said.
Washington said he just wanted Lopez to catch the ball when it was hit to him.
“I just want to get these guys in the game when they’re here,” Washington said. “Sometimes I can get them in the first day, but I have to get him in the second day, so he’s out there. Plus, we have a left-hander (who plays for Atlanta).”
SALES STRATEGY
On Saturday night, Braves left-hander Chris Sale faced the Angels for the first time in five years.
He entered the game with a 7-0 record after facing the Angels 10 times in his career, including eight starts, and a 1.06 ERA.
Sale also led the National League in ERA (2.61) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.8) and ranked second in WHIP (0.98).
The only Angels in their batting order who have faced Sale before are center fielder Kevin Pillar (7 of 30) and third baseman Brandon (3 of 11).
“If he throws you the pitch at the start of the countdown to bat, you don’t miss it,” Drury said.
Next
Braves (RHP Charlie Morton, 6-7, 4.40 ERA) at Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 1-2, 7.98 ERA), Sunday, 1:07 p.m., Bally Sports West, 8:30 a.m.
Originally published:
