ANAHEIM, Calif. — Just hours before they start a 13-game home stand, the Angels announced on Thursday that they have selected the contract of left-hander José Quijada, optioned left-hander Jake Eder and transferred right-hander Robert Stephenson to the 60-day injured list.
The move to option Eder comes as no surprise, considering he threw 98 pitches in six innings of relief in the 6-3 loss to the New York Mets the day before and will not be available out of the bullpen for a few days at least.
As disheartening as it is to hear Stephenson being transferred to the 60-day IL, there actually was no setback in his rehab. The Angels needed to make a spot for Quijada on the 40-man roster, so transferring Stephenson to the 60-day IL opened that spot. Stephenson is still recovering from a stretched nerve in his bicep that he suffered on May 30.
"(Stephenson) continues to lengthen out every time he throws, so that progression just continues until he's where he needs to be to start doing more," interim manager Ray Montgomery said.
Despite the progression, Montgomery said that Stephenson has not thrown off a mound yet.
As for Quijada, he was designated for assignment out of spring training and was sent to the Angels' complex in Arizona to work on his body before going to Double-A Rocket City, where he posted a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings while striking out 39 batters.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Quijada lost a tick in his fastball that he threw 94% of the time in 2024 and his body wasn't in good enough shape.
"When you come off an injury like (Quijada) came off of, sometimes you get out of baseball playing shape, and you think what you did prior works, it doesn't," Montgomery said. "Anytime you have an operation of any kind, it can affect what you do with your body. I think he did a really nice job of getting back into what I would consider normal shape for what he has, the demands of the job in the pen."
Quijada told reporters through a translator before Thursday night's game that he lost almost 30 pounds and his velocity is back to being 94 to 97 miles per hour.
Quijada was an effective reliever for the Angels in 2022, so going through the process of coming back from injury, then being designated for assignment and working his way back to the majors has been tough for Quijada. But this has been a learning moment for him.
"Never stop working and never get comfortable," Quijada said through a translator of what he learned about himself throughout this process.
MOORE CLOSE TO RESUMING BASEBALL ACTIVITIES
Christian Moore told reporters before Thursday's game that he believes he can resume baseball activity in the next couple of days. He went on to say he's on day two of not feeling any pain.
Moore was placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained thumb on July 2.
On Wednesday, Moore took off the splint and is now wearing a thumb guard that he plans on wearing underneath his glove until he feels comfortable without it.
Moore said he has been taking about five dry swings on occasion at about 50 percent intensity.
"You've got to play it smart," Moore said. "In the end, it's day two of feeling really good. But it can be a roller coaster, so you've got to just play it smart."
Montgomery said that they are going to build Moore back up slowly because they don't want to rush him back and put him in a bad position. Montgomery also said that Moore will need a rehab assignment before rejoining the Angels, but said they'll figure out where that will be when the time comes.