Angels' Sam Bachman: Reinstated, optioned to Double-A
Rotowire
The Angels reinstated Bachman (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list Friday and optioned him to Double-A Rocket City.
Bachman has spent the past few months recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and after tossing three innings in his first rehab appearance with Rocket City, he'll remain at that level until the Angels have an opening on their big-league staff. The 24-year-old garnered a 3.18 ERA in 17.0 innings with the Halos in 2023.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Faces hitters
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Bachman (shoulder) threw live batting practice Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Bachman began throwing off a mound May 7, and Friday marks another major step in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. The 24-year-old righty will almost certainly require a lengthy rehab assignment before the Angels think about adding him to their rotation, though the team has not yet specified when his assignment will start.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Rehab slowed by back issue
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Bachman (shoulder) is dealing with mid-back spasms, causing his throwing progression to be put on hold, per MLB.com.
Bachman has been at the Angels' training facility in Arizona rehabbing from October's shoulder cleanup surgery. It was initially expected that the righty hurler would be ready to pitch by the start of spring training, but he's instead been progressing slowly and was placed on the 60-day IL in late March. Bachman could still be ready to return by the beginning of June if the back spasms don't halt his throwing progression for an extended period.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Advancing through throwing program
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Bachman (shoulder) is expected to play catch from 75-to-90 feet Monday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Bachman is gradually increasing his throwing distance off flat ground as he makes his way back from the right shoulder surgery he underwent Sept. 28. The 24-year-old is expected to miss at least the first month of the 2024 season and could be optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake once he's reinstated from the injured list.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Undergoes shoulder surgery
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Bachman recently underwent cleanup surgery on his right shoulder, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
The belief is that he will be ready for the beginning of spring training in February. Bachman, 24, posted an encouraging 3.18 ERA with 14 strikeouts over his first 17 major-league innings this season for the Angels before being shut down in mid-July due to nagging shoulder issues.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: To 15-day IL
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Bachman was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with right shoulder inflammation.
Bachman had given up five earned runs while allowing 11 hits and three walks over his last five innings (four appearances). Matt Moore was reinstated in a corresponding move.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Notches first big-league save
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Bachman earned a save against the Royals on Friday, striking out two batters in two perfect innings.
Patrick Sandoval held KC scoreless over seven frames, and Bachman continued the shutout by retiring all three batters he faced in the eighth. Rather than turn to closer Carlos Estevez, who walked all three batters he faced the previous night, Angels manager Phil Nevin allowed Bachman to finish things out in the ninth with Los Angeles holding a 3-0 lead. The rookie succeeded with ease, retiring the side in order on 14 pitches. Bachman has allowed just one run over 12 innings as a major leaguer thus far, though his 10:8 K:BB suggests he's benefitted from some good fortune. Nonetheless, he may be moving up in the bullpen pecking order given his propensity for keeping runs off the board so far.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Fans four in big-league debut
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Bachman tossed two innings against Miami on Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
It was a mixed bag for Bachman in his first major-league outing -- he threw just 26 of 47 pitches for strikes and allowed three baserunners in each of his two frames, though the Marlins posted only one run on him. The right-hander also impressed with four punchouts while throwing his fastball in the high-90s. Bachman started in all 23 of his minor-league appearances after being a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 2021, but he's expected to work out of the bullpen during his initial stint in the majors.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Selected from Double-A
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The Angels selected Bachman from Double-A Rocket City on Friday.
The 23-year-old righty has has trouble finding the strike zone consistently at Double-A, but he will join the Angels' bullpen nonetheless, likely in a multi-inning role. Reyes Moronta was designated for assignment Friday in order to make room for Bachman on the active roster.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Reassigned to minors camp
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Bachman was reassigned Friday to the minor-league side of Angels camp.
Bachman battled some general soreness earlier this month, but he seems to be past it now. The 2021 first-round pick is likely to begin the 2023 campaign in a starting role at Double-A Rocket City.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Still seen as starter
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The Angels remain committed to having Bachman stretch out as a starter, though manager Phil Nevin has indicated that the hurler could initially be used as a one-inning reliever in the majors, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Bachman was hampered by injuries to his back and biceps last season. limiting him to just 43.2 innings in Double-A ball and significantly impacting his velocity. However, the 23-year-old is reportedly throwing harder this spring, and he was drafted ninth overall in 2021 largely due to his penchant for hurling heat. That skill could help him fare well as a late-inning reliever, and Nevin hinted at a scenario in which a call-up could be in order if the team needs a hard-throwing pitcher out of the bullpen down the stretch in a playoff race. While such a circumstance could help Bachman reach the majors in 2023, all indications are that the organization has maintained a long-term goal of developing him as a future piece of the rotation.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Velocity returning
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Bachman (back/biceps) has his fastball velocity up in the mid-to-high 90s this spring, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Bachman was touted as a triple-digits flamethrower when the Angels made him a top-10 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, but he was forced to alter his mechanics last year in the minors due to back and biceps injuries, and his radar-gun readings dipped as low as 91 mph. He's healthier now and beginning to regain the form he showed at Miami of Ohio University. The 23-year-old right-hander could reach the MLB level at some point in 2023 if he continues to make encouraging strides.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Activated from minor-league IL
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Bachman (bicep) was activated from the minor-league injured list July 23, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
The 2021 first-round draft pick was sidelined for nearly two months with a biceps issue, but he has since been able to return to game action. Bachman has logged two short starts since his activation, allowing one run over 5.1 innings while posting an 8:3 K:BB. The 22-year-old has impressed with a 1.89 ERA over 19 Double-A innings on the season, though his 5.2 BB/9 is problematic.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Battling back spasms
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Bachman exited his start for Double-A Rocket City on Saturday due to back spasms, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Bachman is merely considered day-to-day for now. Through four starts for Rocket City this season, he owns a 1.98 ERA, but his 8:8 K:BB hardly suggests that performance is anything close to sustainable.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Opening season at Double-A
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Bachman missed the first month of the minor-league campaign due to back spasms but is slated to kick off his season with Double-A Rocket City, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
After being taken by the Angels with the ninth pick in the 2021 first-year player draft, Bachman pitched at the High-A level last season, posting a 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB across 14.1 innings over five starts. He's been sidelined due to back spams for nearly a month, though his placement on the injured list was described as precautionary. It's unclear when his first outing with Rocket City will take place, but the decision to send him to the Double-A club suggests that his activation is imminent.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Resumes throwing
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Bachman (back) is throwing at Anaheim's spring training facility, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Bachman suffered the back injury late in spring training and has been on the injured list since. He doesn't have an official timetable to return, though Fletcher reports that Bachman will be pitching in games within "a few weeks." Bachman was not assigned to a level within the organization, though Double-A Rocket City is his most likely destination once activated.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Begins season on IL
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Bachman will open the season on the minor-league 7-day injured list due to back spasms, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
The Angels haven't announced an official assignment for Bachman, but he's expected to report to Double-A Rocket City after finishing the 2021 campaign at High-A Tri-City. In five outings for Tri-City spanning 14.1 innings, the 22-year-old righty gave up six earned runs on 13 hits and four walks while striking out 15. The Angels have described his placement on the IL as precautionary, so he shouldn't be out much longer than the minimum seven days.
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Angels' Sam Bachman: Bumped to Double-A
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Bachman was promoted to Double-A Rocket City on Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Perhaps no team in baseball prioritizes ETA more in the draft than the Angels, and indeed, Bachman seems to be on the fast track to the majors. He logged a 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB in 14.1 innings at High-A. It is still unclear if he will have good enough command to start long term, but he has the stuff to be a devastating late-inning arm in the near term if the Angels want to go that route.
