LA Angels will rely on Felix Pena to fill-in for depleted rotation

The LA Angels have been decimated by injuries this season, but the starting rotation is what has been affected the most by these injuries. They are being forced to rely on pitchers they were not expecting.

The LA Angels decided early this season that Felix Pena, a reliever who the Angels acquired from the Cubs for a player to be named later last October. Pena has been a reliever all of his career, but the Angels saw potential in him much like they did with converted reliever J.C. Ramirez.

Pena has been recalled three times now from Triple-A Salt Lake.  Pena will be making his first career major league start Tuesday against the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks.  Pena has nine career minor league starts, all this season and the results have been decent. The only issue will be Pena’s endurance. Until his last minor league start Pena had not gone 4.2 innings.

However, in his last start Pena went six innings against New Orleans allowing no runs and striking out three batters.  If the Angels can get five good innings out of Pena on Tuesday it will be a blessing for the rotation. So far Pena has appeared in two games pitching 2.2 innings and giving up three runs.

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Pena’s career major league numbers are so-so as he has a 1-0 record with a 5.28 ERA with a 1.88 WHIP. He has appeared in 38 total games over the past three years.  36 of those appearances were in two seasons with the Cubs in 2016 and 2017.

Felix Pena has a mid-90’s fastball and a couple of off-speed pitches and is 28 years old.  He is from the Dominican Republic.  Pena will probably get a few starts this season if all goes well.  At least until the Angels get a couple of their injured pitchers back from the DL.

The Angels could really use a shot in the arm from Pena, hopefully he will be up to the task.

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