The Los Angeles Angels have been signing pitchers with an injury history at a rate that’s both hilarious and horrifying, to the point where it’s fair to wonder how much of this is going to work. The current rotation features starter Grayson Rodriguez, but the former Baltimore Oriole has an injury history, and so does pitcher Alek Manoah, who’s basically a lottery ticket.
So what happens if one or both falter or have to leave the rotation for an extended period due to injury? The Angels do have a lot of internal options to fill their rotation, and Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com did a rundown of who’s available, so let’s focus on a few of the more prominent possibilities.
Caden Dana, RHP
Like most Angels prospects, Dana was rushed to the majors, but he’s got two seasons of experience so he’s probably first in line among the “next man up” rotation candidates. The numbers aren’t pretty right now—a career 7.17 ERA with 41 strikeouts, 25 walks and 14 homers in 42 2/3 innings, but his stuff plays if he can put it all together. If not, he could be a midseason trade candidate, as the Angels have a lot of possibilities behind him but not a lot of patience.
Sam Aldegheri, LHP
The native of Italy has become a fan favorite due to his background and his rapid rise through the Angels system, but his issues are basically a variation of Dana’s at this point. His numbers include a 6.41 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 20 walks in 26-2/3 innings, so the issue he faces is control. The fact that he’s a left-hander may give him more chances than Dana, but he, too, is facing a prove-it season.
Jack Kochanowicz, RHP
Kochanowicz is also young at 25, but he’s at least had a little success. He came up in 2024 and posted a 3.99 ERA, which makes him a Cy Young candidate when it comes to pitching numbers for Angels prospects. According to Bollinger, though, he got away from his strength as a sinker specialist, and his walk rate made a big jump. That’s a potential fix that sounds right up the alley for new pitching coach Mike Maddux, so he’ll be an interesting name to watch based on his ability to throw 111 innings last year.
Tyler Bremner, RHP
Bremner is the proverbial new kid on the block. He’s an exciting prospect who’s expected to rise quickly through the Angels system, which means there are two basic possibilities—he can either duplicate the experiences of the three pitchers just listed, or he can survive a sink-or-swim scenario and become a back-end option.