Ben Joyce rehab outing gives Angels hope that bullpen woes will soon be solved

In the lead-up to the regular season, it seemed that there was a chance that the Los Angeles Angels could put together a dynamic bullpen. Robert Stephenson, Kirby Yates, and Jordan Romano all had success in points in the past, locking down the ninth inning. Drew Pomeranz had been a useful setup man at points in the past. Ben Joyce was returning with his triple-digit heat.

That wasn't a likely scenario, though. Stephenson unsurprisingly suffered another season-ending injury. Romano wasn't good and hasn't been good since 2023. Yates is 39 and dealt with injuries last year, making it no shock that he began this season on the IL. Pomeranz has turned into a pumpkin, yet again. Around them, there's been a carousel of flamed-out prospects and journeymen being called up to round out the pen. Despite all the offseason acquisitions, the Halos' pen truly has been an island of misfit toys.

The good news is the last part of that once-optimism-generating quintet is on the comeback trail after 2025's shoulder surgery. Joyce has begun a rehab assignment, and so far, the early returns are positive as he's hitting triple digits and missing bats.

Ben Joyce's return could be a massive boost for the Angels' bullpen, but red flags remain

Joyce has now made four appearances for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and has looked pretty good overall. He's managed a 2.25 ERA and five strikeouts over four innings, but has also given up three walks, hit two batters, and thrown two wild pitches.

Joyce's first rehab outing saw him sitting 97 to 100 miles per hour, topping out at 101. That's encouraging, though a far cry from his max velocity in the past, which topped a ridiculous 105 miles per hour. As Joyce works through this rehab stint, his expected return is imminent and should give a boost to the Angels' lowly bullpen. The question will be how much and for how long?

There are two things to consider with the 25-year-old. The first is that despite possessing one of the league's most blazing fastballs and pairing it with a devastating "splinker," Joyce doesn't strike out as many batters as you'd expect.

His career strikeout rate is just 21%, which is below average for this kind of bullpen arm. When paired with a career 11.4% walk rate, there are legitimate questions about his effectiveness and efficiency. What's more concerning is that Joyce has a lengthy injury history. Dating back to his college career at the University of Tennessee, Joyce missed time with a stress fracture in his elbow and then underwent Tommy John surgery, wiping out his 2020 and 2021 seasons.

As a pro, Joyce suffered from ulnar neuritis in his right elbow that cost him two months on the IL in 2023. Shoulder inflammation plagued him in 2024, and then there was his shoulder surgery last season to address ongoing inflammation issues. All told, Joyce has only managed to throw 49 career innings over parts of three big league seasons. Much like Romano, Stephenson, Pomeranz, and Yates, the right-hander is far from the picture of durability.

Hopefully, Joyce's return coincides with a breakout that sees him pair his incredible velocity with increased deception to rack up the Ks while staying healthy. If he can do that, it won't solve all of the Angels' issues, but things will look a bit brighter.

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