SEATTLE — At various times throughout his still relatively short big league career, Reid Detmers has looked like one of the Angels best starters and one of their worst.
He’s currently the latter, mired in a mystifying two-month slump.
Detmers gave up five runs in the Angels’ 9-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, bloating his ERA to 6.14.
Detmers had a 1.19 ERA over his first four starts, but he’s now followed that with an 8.93 mark over his last eight.
He was shaky from the outset in this one, starting with a walk to the first hitter of the game. Detmers got through the first three innings with only one run on the board.
That was one set up by a leadoff walk to No. 9 hitter Ryan Bliss in the third inning.
An inning later, Detmers was again facing the bottom of the Seattle order, needing just one out to escape. Detmers walked No. 8 hitter Luke Raley and Bliss.
Pitching coach Barry Enright came to the mound for a visit with Detmers before he faced leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford for the third time in the game.
Detmers got ahead of Crawford with a first-pitch strike, and the count was 1-and-2 when he missed with a slider.
His next pitch was a curve that hung right at the letters, and Crawford lifted it just over the left field fence, for a grand slam. That was the end of Detmers’ day on the mound.
Three of the five runs Detmers allowed reached base with walks. He’s walked 20 hitters in 40-1/3 innings during his eight-start slump.
The Angels have an off day next Thursday and another the following Monday, which could give them some time to just skip Detmers and see if a few extra bullpen sessions can help turn him around.
When Detmers was struggling in 2022, a simple tweak in the way he threw his slider was all it took to get him back on track. Last year he similarly flipped a switch with an August adjustment that led to a strong finish.
Related Articles
Angels reliever Luis Garcia has bounced back from a rough start
Angels lose to Mariners despite Jo Adell’s game-tying, pinch-hit grand slam
Angels rookie Nolan Schanuel says he’s getting more comfortable at the plate
Bullpen meltdown allows game to get away in Angels’ loss to Yankees
Angels still looking for better control from hard-throwing prospect Ben Joyce
In the meantime, if the Angels want to try someone else in the rotation, the most obvious candidate at Triple-A is left-hander Kenny Rosenberg. He has a 3.86 ERA at Salt Lake, and last season he had a 3.82 ERA in 33 big league innings.
Injured right-hander Chase Silseth, who began the season in the rotation, just threw three innings in his first rehab outing on Friday. He probably needs at least two more minor league outings before he could be an option.
Their top pitching prospect is right-hander Caden Dana, who has a 2.76 ERA at Double-A. Under general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels have shown no hesitation in bringing players straight from Double-A to the majors if they believe they are ready.
The game didn’t get any better for the Angels after Detmers was pulled.
The Mariners scored four more runs against relievers Carson Fulmer and Roansy Contreras, and they resorted to having utilityman Cole Tucker pitch the eighth. He worked a scoreless inning.
Offensively, the Angels managed only six hits.
More to come on this story.
