Roansy

Contreras

There isn’t much more to add. Contreras promptly gave up home runs to Joey Loperfido and Addison Barger to lose this game. Both were absolutely crushed at 400 feet and 439 feet, respectively. Perhaps this will motivate Ron Washington to install Ben Joyce, who worked a scoreless eighth inning, as his closer once and for all.

Contreras has a nice 1.75 ERA and a 12/2 K/BB ratio in 10 1/3 innings since moving to the bullpen last month. Hopefully, Ben Joyce will get most of the Angels’ save chances after his showing last night. Contreras, though, will be in the mix when Joyce is unavailable.

Contreras would have started today if he hadn’t been so ineffective against the Rangers five days ago. Sent to the pen, he got a save opportunity and converted it on a day in which the Angels’ top three relievers were all down from having pitched both Friday and Saturday. He’ll likely be more of a middle reliever after the break.

It was one run through two innings, but Contreras allowed two singles and a double to open the third. What followed was a foolish decision to intentionally walk Corey Seager, and Contreras went on to give up an infield single before being pulled. Fortunately for Contreras’s ERA, Hunter Strickland managed to strand two of three runners after taking over with the bases loaded and none out. Contreras is due to start again Sunday against the Mariners in the final game before the break, but that could wind up as a bullpen day.

Contreras walked three batters, struck out one and was lifted after just 53 pitches (29 strikes) in an abbreviated outing. The 24-year-old righty figures to continue drawing starts for Los Angeles, but he’s going to need to be more efficient if he’s going to stick as a traditional starter.

This was Contreras’ first start of the season and he was stretched out to 61 pitches after not topping 50 yet this season. Working as a starter, he leaned far more on his slider than he had in his relief appearances and threw it more often than his fastball. Contreras used that slider as his primary pitch often last season in Pittsburgh as his fastball effectiveness waned. That fastball still isn’t great and he had trouble putting hitters away, as he seemingly always has.

It’s a favorable matchup for streaming purposes, but Contreras is too risky to roll the dice on, with the notable exception of extremely deep mixed leagues or AL-only formats. The 24-year-old former prospect was acquired last month from the Pirates in a small trade and has fared reasonably well in nine relief appearances for Los Angeles. Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters they’re hoping to get at least four or five innings out of Contreras on Wednesday afternoon.

Contreras was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Saturday to make room for Paul Skenes. The 24-year-old was moved to the bullpen this season and had posted a 4.41 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and 16/8 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings. However, Contreras was a top-100 prospect just a couple of years ago, ranking as MLB Pipeline’s 67th overall prospect prior to the 2022 season. Entering 2024, Contreras had a 3.67 ERA in 98 MLB innings with a 9.5 percent walk rate and 21.4 percent strikeout rate while limiting opposing batters to a .225 batting average. However, he had seen a troubling decline in fastball velocity and his command wasn’t good enough to hide his diminishing raw stuff. Still, at just 24 years old, there could easily be a solid MLB pitcher lurking in there somewhere; he just didn’t necessarily land in the best place for that pitcher to be unearthed.

Contreras has been jettisoned from Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster for free up a spot for top prospect Paul Skenes. The 24-year-old former starter holds a pedestrian 4.41 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 16/8 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings (12 appearances) this season in a relief role.

Contreras missed three games while being away from the club. He’ll rejoin the Pittsburgh pitching staff with Jose Hernandez heading back to Triple-A in the corresponding move.