Joyce will open the year with Double-A Rocket City due to the way the altitude in Salt Lake impacts pitching development, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
For a pitcher who was the talk of the Angels' bullpen during spring training and didn't get reassigned until this past weekend, it would have seemed likely for Joyce to open the year at Triple-A. As Blum notes, Chase Silseth was held at Double-A last year before getting promoted to the majors, so this is a tactic the Angels like to use with young pitchers given the alternative of sending them to the Pacific Coast League. Joyce is a strong candidate to pitch his way to the majors if he stays healthy and could be the Angels' long-term closer.