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Angels' Kirby Yates: Finally gets first save of season
Rotowire
Yates struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.
Yates was the early favorite for the closer role with the Angels, but a knee injury kept him out until early May. The right-hander was eased back into action in low-leverage spots, and the Angels' overall poor performance has led to limited save opportunities. Yates squandered his first chance at a save Wednesday versus the Athletics, but he bounced back with a scoreless outing Thursday before getting the save Saturday. He's pitched to a 4.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB through 6.1 innings this season. Ryan Zeferjahn is the only other pitcher on the roster to have a save for the Angels in 2026 -- Jordan Romano had four before he was designated for assignment in late April. Yates is likely the lead candidate for saves moving forward thanks to his past experience as a closer, though he could face increased competition once Ben Joyce (shoulder) is ready to make his season debut.
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Angels' Kirby Yates: Squanders save chance Wednesday
Rotowire
Yates was charged with a blown save after retiring two batters and allowing one run on one hit and one walk in Wednesday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Athletics.
Upon being activated May 5 following a season-opening stint on the injured list due to left knee inflammation, Yates was deployed in lower-leverage spots for each of his first four appearances with the Angels. After the veteran right-hander tossed a pair of clean innings while striking out four of the six batters he faced over his last two outings, manager Kurt Suzuki felt comfortable turning to Yates on Wednesday to protect a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning. Yates immediately squandered the opportunity, serving up a leadoff home run to Jeff McNeil to tie the game. He was able to induce a groundout and then struck out Lawrence Butler, but Yates was pulled from the game after putting two more runners on via a walk and hit batsmen. Though the Angels' closer situation remains unsettled, Yates' poor showing Wednesday could hurt his case for seeing another save chance anytime soon.
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Angels' Kirby Yates: Back from injured list
Rotowire
The Angels reinstated Yates (knee) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
Yates spent the first five-plus weeks of the season on the shelf due to left knee inflammation, but he's ready to join the Angels after a four-outing rehab assignment. The veteran right-hander surrendered seven runs in his first three rehab appearances but bounced back with a scoreless frame in his final outing. Yates should be in the mix at closer for the Angels, especially since Jordan Romano was cut loose in late April.
Angels' Kirby Yates: Struggling during rehab stint
Rotowire
Yates (knee) has made three minor-league rehab outings since April 17, giving up a combined seven runs on seven hits while posting a 5:1 K:BB over three innings.
Yates' rehab appearances have been spread out, as he's had at least two days off between each outing. The veteran reliever has given up at least one run in each of his one-inning appearances and has served up two homers across his three frames. It's not clear how long the Angels plan to keep Yates on his rehab assignment, and his struggles may not be helping his cause for rejoining the big-league roster in short order. After Jordan Romano was designated for assignment Sunday, the Angels' closer situation is extremely murky, and Yates is a clear candidate to take on the role given his 98 career regular-season saves. However, the club may want to see Yates put together some better outings before feeling comfortable handing him the ball in the ninth inning of close contests.
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Angels' Kirby Yates: Rehab transferred to Triple-A
Rotowire
Yates (knee) is moving his rehab assignment from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga to Triple-A Salt Lake, per MLB.com.
Yates pitched in one game for Rancho Cucamonga, allowing a run on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over one inning. He's scheduled to throw for Salt Lake Wednesday and Friday. If those outings go well, Yates could be activated from the IL before the end of April.
Angels' Kirby Yates: Will need several rehab appearances
Rotowire
Yates (knee) still needs to gain weight and add velocity before being activated from the injured list, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Yates made his first rehab appearance Friday night and said the outing went as planned despite allowing one earned run on a hit and a walk. He also noted he'll need a few more rehab appearances before returning. Yates projects to work in a high-leverage role once fully healthy and could threaten closer Jordan Romano for saves.
Yates (knee) will embark on a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday.
Yates opened the regular season on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation. He has progressed enough in his rehab to start a rehab assignment and may need just a couple of outings, given that he is not dealing with an arm issue. Yates could be in the mix for saves upon his return, especially given the recent struggles of Jordan Romano.
Yates (knee) is expected to pitch for High-A Rancho Cucamonga soon, per MLB.com.
It's not clear exactly when Yates will kick off his rehab assignment, but it's the logical next step given that he's recently been throwing to hitters. The veteran reliever may not need much time to get ready for activation from the IL since he's not dealing with an arm issue and was able to appear in four games during spring training. Yates could be headed for a high-leverage role, though Jordan Romano has gone 4-for-4 in converting save chances with a 0.00 ERA and likely has a strong hold on the closer role for the time being.
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Angels' Kirby Yates: May be headed for rehab stint
Rotowire
Yates (knee) threw 26 pitches to hitters Tuesday and could next begin a minor-league rehab stint, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Yates said his body "felt good" during the session but acknowledged that his legs aren't quite up to speed yet. "The hard part is, I didn't get a chance to do anything with my legs for 12-to-13 days. So we're trying to play catch-up with that. The legs aren't as fresh as I'd probably like them to be. But, overall, I think it was good," Yates said after throwing. Manager Kurt Suzuki echoed that sentiment, saying, "I thought he looked fine. Obviously, first time in a while throwing to hitters, so it's going to take time. Build his stamina, his legs back up, get his legs under him again... But hopefully we'll see him sooner than later." Yates said he's hoping his next step will be a rehab assignment with a minor-league squad but stated that he's going to talk that over with coaches and trainers Wednesday.
