ANAHEIM -- The Los Angeles Angels' starting rotation will have a new face on the mound ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
Right-handed pitcher George Klassen has been promoted to the MLB roster from Triple-A Salt Lake. In a corresponding move, the Angels have designated left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi for assignment.
Ryan Johnson was originally scheduled to start for the Angels today, but is not available due to illness.
Klassen, 23, is ranked as the Angels' third top pitching prospect and was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
With the clock quickly winding down during the final hours of the MLB trade deadline, Klassen was traded to the Angels, along with left-handed pitcher Sam Aldegheri, to the Angels for Carlos Estévez.
In 2021, Klassen was a freshman at the University of Minnesota but his season fell short after having Tommy John Surgery.
Before the surgery, Klassen's fastball reached 100 MPH, now he will come close to triple digits at times but rarely makes it over. Still known for being a power pitcher on the mound, Klassen's 70 grade fastball sits at 97 MPH and while he will rely on mixing up his slider, curveball, and will utilize his changeup.
"From spring training, what we saw, he was in it right up until the end," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. "We feel real confident in Klassen giving us the best chance to win today. We're excited."
During spring training, Klassen was one of the many pitchers who were battling for the fifth spot in the Angels' starting rotation, but ended up falling short and was assigned to triple-A Salt Lake after finishing spring with a 6.43 ERA.
This year, Klassen has appeared in only one minor league game, going 4 2/3 innings, where he gave up six hits, two runs, one earned, while striking out five batters and walking none.
"When things got rolling during spring, he made adjustments to do it, quickly," Suzuki said. "The stuff is the stuff. He's always had the stuff, and he's a lot more consistent in the zone and attacking hitters. We really liked everything he did for us in the spring."
While Klassen is set to make his MLB debut today, it is not the first time he's pitched in Angel Stadium, as he started in an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 22nd.
Initially, he showed great promise by retiring the Dodgers in order through the first two innings, striking four batters in a row. But in the third, the Dodgers' lineup adjusted and showed a more patient approach at the plate, working four walks and scoring 5 runs until Klassen was pulled in the middle of the inning.
"That series obviously, in a big league stadium, against the Dodgers, a lot of fans and stuff," Suzuki said. "Things got kinda rolling, but we think that helped him, and he learned from it, and you're never gonna be perfect, right? You could have ten years in the big leagues, and things like that can happen with the team on the other side."
Aside from the one bad start against the Dodgers, Klassen looked great during spring, appearing in four other games and giving up runs in two of them, and having 10 strikeouts and 5 walks.