This Angels' pitcher needs to rebound quickly to stay a part of Opening Day picture

The Los Angeles Angels went into spring training with enormous amounts of uncertainty, especially on the pitching side of their roster. They have a trio of starters confirmed in Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, and Yusei Kikuchi, but the final two spots are up in the air. The bullpen is an open race, as some veterans joined the team this offseason, but no one can be deemed a "sure thing" for the Halos. And one dark horse to make the roster may be pitching for his major league life for the remainder of spring training.

In his first preseason appearance, Chase Silseth took the mound and promptly gave up five runs. He surrendered five hits, a home run, and looked completely lost on the mound. Silseth did record two strikeouts, but that gets lost in the wind after allowing so many runs.

Can Chase Silseth rebound to make Angels' Opening Day roster?

Silseth has been an up-and-down arm in the big leagues since making his debut in 2022 and has converted to a relief role in recent years. He posted a 1.64 ERA for the Angels last season as a reliever, proving that he can be effective at a big league level. He struck out 13 batters in 11 innings, relying mainly on his fastball-splitter combination to keep batters guessing.

It is just one spring training appearance, but it will be an uphill battle for Silseth with so many veterans added this offseason, such as 2025 standout Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano. He has minor league options available, putting him even further behind the eight ball.

As mentioned, Silseth has found success in the bullpen as recently as last season for the Angels. This is about as bad a start as he could have had, but assuming he will still get a handful of appearances over the rest of camp, Silseth will be able to change the narrative around himself and force himself back into the Opening Day picture for the Angels.

If he can't, Silseth likely will return to Salt Lake City and wait until he gets a chance in the regular season for the Angels.