LA Angels: Reliever Ty Buttrey chooses to step away from baseball

The Angels placed right-hander Ty Buttrey on the restrictive list on Friday after he did not report to the team’s alternate site.

Angels reliever Ty Buttrey is taking a break from baseball.

Manager Joe Maddon was unaware of the circumstances and Buttrey’s decision for stepping away from baseball for the time being. He is also unsure if or when Buttrey will return, but hopes to speak with him soon.

"“There’s a lot of times when you get that age you become confused by different things, and you choose different routes, and maybe something’s more important to him right now,” Maddon said. “I don’t know. For us, it always seems to be the right conclusion is to pursue a major league career. Or maybe he just wants to pursue something else. So it’s one of those things that’s up to the individual. I respect it. I respect him.”"

The Halos revamped their bullpen just before Opening Day, and one of their moves involved optioning Buttrey. It was surprising to most considering how much he’s pitched in the past few seasons and his decent spring camp.

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Ty Buttrey Last 4 Seasons:

• 2018: (16 games): 16.1 IP 3.31 ERA 11 K/9 1.224 WHIP
• 2019: (72 games): 72.1 IP 3.98 ERA 11.5 K/9 1.272 WHIP
• 2020: (27 games): 26.1 IP 5.81 ERA 6.2 K/9 1.405 WHIP
• 2021: (Spring Training-7 games): 7 IP 9 H 3 ER 4 BB 7 SO

Part me of me believes this is a similar situation with former Angel Tommy La Stella in August 2016. La Stella was swinging the bat well for the Cubs in limited playing time off the bench, but Chicago’s roster was so deep they optioned him to the minors. La Stella refused to report and even contemplated retirement during that time. He was placed on the inactive list before returning to the Cubs 25-man roster on August 31.

There’s still no word on what Buttrey plans to do, or why he made his decision. It’s possible he is just taking something of a mental break away from the game.

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I wouldn’t be surprised if the Angels reach out in efforts to bring him back to their active roster in the next few weeks. While this bullpen has some new faces, there is no such thing as having too much depth.