Detmers flashes progress, Candelario stays hot, and Rada continues to impress despite the Angels' spring setback.
A 5-3 loss came for the Los Angeles Angels on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians, bringing their spring record to five wins and nine losses.
As always in spring baseball, however, there are some positives to note from the contest. The first of which was an improved outing from left-hander Reid Detmers, who made his third start of the spring. In his four innings, the 26-year-old allowed two runs and struck out five batters. It’s an encouraging performance after recording a 9.64 ERA in his first two appearances.
Detmers is making his return to the starting rotation in 2026 after spending his first season in the bullpen last year. With his sub-4.00 ERA out of the bullpen last season and the limited starting options for the Angels, Detmers is looking to make the most out of his return. In his last season as a starter in 2023, he posted a 6.70 ERA.
On the offensive side of things, infielder Jeimer Candelario continued his hot spring, knocking two hits, including an RBI double in the top of the first inning. It was his fifth and sixth hit of spring and fourth extra-base hit. Signing a minor league deal at the beginning of February, Candelario is making a strong case for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
In 134 games with the Cincinnati Reds over the last two seasons, Candelario recorded -1.6 WAR. He struggled at the plate, posting just a 77 OPS+ during his time in Cincinnati. With multiple seasons of an OPS+ above 120, the Angels are hoping Candelario can creep back above league average to add some much-needed infield depth in 2026.
Outfielder Nelson Rada, the No. 3 prospect in the Angels’ organization, also had another solid outing, recording another hit. While he hasn’t gotten an extra-base hit just yet, on par with his low power grades, he is still finding ways to leave his mark on the game. He now has four stolen bases and a .794 OPS.
In other notes, infielder Adam Frazier brought his average to .357 with two hits on Friday. From the bullpen, Detmers didn't receive much help as three runs were allowed in the remaining four innings. Right-hander Shaun Anderson was given the loss after allowing four baserunners and two runs in his one inning.
The Halos are back in action in Arizona again on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch is set for 12:10 p.m.