Angels finally demote struggling young starting pitcher after disastrous outing

The Angels have really stuck to their guns this year given that they are the only team to have utilized exactly five starters in their rotation up to this point... despite several moments when fans wanted to expel at least three of them. Yusei Kikuchi and José Soriano have admirably held it down all season, but Tyler Anderson, Kyle Hendricks and Jack Kochanowicz have been incredibly up-and-down. The Angels have championed their starters through thick-and-thin, but they just reached a breaking point.

Kochanowicz has not had many ups, and it's been mostly downs for the youngster. As a result, the team announced that they optioned the starter down to Triple-A Salt Lake for a reset as they approach the All-Star break. In a crucial game against the Texas Rangers where the Angels were looking to win a series three game to one, Kochanowicz laid an absolute egg -- he went 2.2 innings on 70 pitches, allowed eight hits, 8 earned runs and posted a 3:3 K:BB.

Angels finally demote struggling young starting pitcher after disastrous outing

This demotion has been brewing for a while. Kochanowicz has not posted a quality start since May 16th, going ten straight starts without any of them being deemed quality. In those wretched last ten starts, he has allowed nine home runs, 57 hits, plus has a 7.51 ERA, a 5.94 FIP and a 1.80 WHIP. In his 94 innings pitched this year, he has allowed 108 hits, struck out a meager 65 batters and walked 45.

The continuity in the starting rotation is over. Jake Eder will join Carson Fulmer as a reliever who can eat innings should the Angels need it this weekend against Arizona. The fifth spot in the rotation will be unoccupied for now, as Anderson, Kikuchi and Soriano will start the final three games before the All-Star break, so the team will address that vacancy in a week.

Whether it's Eder, Fulmer, Reid Detmers, Víctor Mederos, Sam Aldegheri, or perhaps even Ryan Johnson or George Klassen, the Angels will give somebody else a turn here soon. The odds of Kochanowicz coming back and starting after the MLB All-Star break are slim, as the Bees are about to have a break of their own. He will definitely make a start or two, or maybe even a few before returning.

What a difference a year makes. In fact, Kochanowicz made his big league debut a year ago today. In 11 low-leverage starts for the horrendous 2024 Angels, Kochanowicz posted a 3.99 ERA, a 4.62 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP and a sterling 1.38 BB/9 in 65.1 innings pitched. The then-23-year-old struggled mightily with striking out batters, as he racked up an MLB-worst 3.44 K/9. Despite being the single worst pitcher at striking guys out last year, Kochanowicz had a better K:BB than he does this year.

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