Angels News: Patrick Sandoval appears to be odd-man out when Julio Teheran returns

When Julio Teheran joins the Angels rotation next week, it appears that he will take the spot of Patrick Sandoval, who was optioned on Thursday.

The long-awaited arrival of Julio Teheran is almost upon us, with the right-hander expected to join the Angels’ rotation in the coming week. However, to make room for Teheran to make his 2020 debut, someone has to step aside.

Unfortunately, it appears that the burden will be carried by Patrick Sandoval, as noted by the Angels’ PR team.

Like Teheran, Sandoval was a late arrival to camp due to contracting COVID-19. However, he was able to make one appearance in camp. That was apparently enough for Joe Maddon to name him the team’s sixth starter, beating out Felix Pena and Jaime Barria for the final slot.

In his lone appearance of the season, Sandoval pitched well. While he was held to just four innings and 62 pitches due to his limited camp, the lefty surrendered just four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out four Mariners.

Despite the strong start, the Angels appear to want to see Sandoval stay on schedule. With his next scheduled appearance slated for Monday, an off-day, the team has decided to option him to the Long Beach camp to start an intrasquad game there.

In his place, the Angels have recalled reliever Luke Bard. With the team heavily utilizing its bullpen in the early portion of the season, having Bard in the pen added a fresh arm.

That decision proved fruitful on Wednesday night, when the Angels’ bullpen imploded, allowing eight runs (7 earned) to spoil a strong start by Andrew Heaney. Bard was immediately thrust into the game, working a scoreless frame in the top of the ninth.

When will Julio Teheran make his season debut for the Angels?

With Sandoval going to the Long Beach camp, that opens a spot in the rotation for Julio Teheran. However, the exact day that Teheran will make his first start for the Angels is still a mystery. Manager Joe Maddon was a little coy with when we can expect Teheran to be ready.

"“Teheran plays into the move as well,” Maddon said. “He’s getting closer. Have to start planning in advance with him also. He seems to be getting closer but I don’t have exact dates right now.” – (h/t – Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com)"

For now, Teheran is slated to throw to live hitters on Thursday. The Angels will assess his progress from there and then decide if he’s ready to join the rotation from there. The next open slot falls on Tuesday, so that would seem the obvious choice if all goes well.

Teheran signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Angels this past offseason. The Halos are hoping that he’ll add another stabilizing arm to the rotation in 2020.