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Angels' Ben Joyce: Tops out at 102.2 mph in '26 debut
Rotowire
Joyce pitched a scoreless and hitless inning in relief against Baltimore on Wednesday, walking one batter and striking out one.
Joyce was activated from the 60-day IL on Tuesday after being deemed ready to return from right shoulder surgery. The flamethrowing reliever showed that he still has impressive velocity, throwing nine of his 16 pitches over 100 mph and topping out at 102.2 mph. Joyce's command was a bit spotty -- he threw eight balls and eight strikes -- but that didn't cost him in the scoring column. Joyce has always had closer-like stuff, and with the Angels trading away Kirby Yates and Ryan Zeferjahn at the deadline, there's a clear path for Joyce to work his way up to the closer role before the end of the campaign.
Angels' Ben Joyce: Reinstated from 60-day injured list
Rotowire
The Angels activated Joyce (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Joyce is finally ready to make his season debut for the Angels following a long road back from right shoulder surgery. The reliever had to be pulled off an initial rehab assignment back in May because he wasn't recovering well in between outings, but it went smoother after he restarted things in July. Joyce's numbers on his rehab assignment -- 5.06 ERA, 12:8 K:BB in 10.2 innings -- were underwhelming, and he did not appear in back-to-back games. So, while there's a clear opening at closer for the Angels, it's unlikely Joyce will be thrown back into the role right away.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Getting velocity back
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) averaged 100.2 mph with his fastball in a one-inning rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League on Thursday, Taylor Blake Ward of TheSportingTribune.com reports.
Joyce's fastball topped out at 102.3 mph, and he's now thrown 2.2 innings since resuming his rehab assignment following a setback in May. The hard-throwing right-hander was placed on the injured list just ahead of Opening Day and has yet to pitch in a big-league game this season. If all goes well, Joyce could potentially rejoin the Angels' bullpen later this month.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Starting rehab assignment Tuesday
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with the Angels' Arizona Complex League squad Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Joyce has missed the entirety of the 2026 campaign while recovering from May 2025 shoulder surgery and a subsequent May 2026 setback. His rehab assignment will likely be a prolonged one, spanning outings at various levels in the Angels' minor-league system.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Faces hitters Friday
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) faced hitters in a live bullpen session Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
It's the first time Joyce has faced hitters since being shut down from throwing in mid-May. This is a promising sign for the right-hander as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery that he underwent in July of 2025. A clearer timeline for Joyce's return to the majors should emerge once he's been given the green light to embark on a rehab assignment.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Throwing only fastballs
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) has been throwing at the Angels' complex in Arizona, but he's limited to fastball-only bullpens, per MLB.com.
Joyce has yet to pitch for the Angels this season as he continues to work his way back from right shoulder surgery. The fireballing reliever had progressed as far as taking part in a minor-league rehab assignment, but he was pulled from that stint in mid-May after four outings because he wasn't recovering as well as hoped. It appears the organization is taking a cautious approach to Joyce's recovery, so he may not be ready to join the big-league club until after the All-Star break.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Resumes mound work
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) threw 10 pitches off a mound Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
It was a short session for Joyce, but it was a tangible step in his recovery given that it was his first time throwing off a mound since his rehab was halted in mid-May. The righty reliever threw only fastballs Friday, per MLB.com, so he has more hurdles to clear before he's ready to resume a minor-league rehab assignment. It's not out of the question that Joyce will be activated off the 60-day IL in late June, but a more likely scenario has him continuing to rehab into July.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Yet to throw off mound
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) has been throwing at the Angels' facility in Arizona but has yet to resume mound work, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Joyce has been on the injured list all year while on the mend from a shoulder procedure he underwent in May 2025. He was initially cleared to begin a rehab assignment in late April but was shut down when his shoulder began failing to recover in between outings. He resumed throwing in late May, but the Angels are seemingly taking things slowly while building the 25-year-old back up. It's unclear how far away he is from beginning another rehab assignment.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Set to resume rehab assignment
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) was sent to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday to resume a rehab assignment.
Joyce had to be pulled off his initial rehab assignment because his surgically repaired right shoulder wasn't recovering well in between outings. He's now ready to give things another try and should eventually move his rehab up to Triple-A Salt Lake before zeroing in on a return to the Angels.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Resumes throwing program
Rotowire
Manager Kurt Suzuki said Tuesday that Joyce (shoulder) has resumed his throwing program in Arizona, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Joyce, a long-time closer of the future for the Angels, remains without a set timetable to return after suffering a setback with his surgically repaired right shoulder a couple weeks ago. He is apparently making progress, though the build-up process will likely be slow and deliberate given his injury history. Following the recent setback, the Angels transferred Joyce to the 60-day injured list.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Rehabbing in Arizona
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) is currently conducting his rehab program at the Angels' complex in Arizona, MLB.com reports.
Joyce had a minor-league rehab stint halted in mid-May after four appearances due to less-than-optimal recovery. He got an MRI, which came back clean, and was subsequently moved to the 60-day injured list. That transaction won't necessarily push back Joyce's return date dramatically, but he'll presumably need to resume a rehab assignment before he's ready to be activated. At this point, Joyce seems unlikely to rejoin the big-league club before June.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Moved to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Angels transferred Joyce (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.
The Angels have said that they plan to slow down Joyce's rehab process after he was scratched from his scheduled rehab appearance Sunday, and his move to the 60-day IL will simply guarantee that he remains out for at least one more week. His place on the 40-man roster will be handed to Jose Siri, who was selected from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: MRI comes back clean
Rotowire
Imaging on Joyce's right shoulder came back negative Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Joyce was scratched from his scheduled rehab outing Monday after reporting renewed soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder. He isn't dealing with any structural damage, but the Angels are going to pump the brakes a bit on his rehab process, which will presumably extend his time on the injured list.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Rehab slowed
Rotowire
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Monday that Joyce (shoulder) was scratched from a scheduled rehab appearance Sunday because "he wasn't recovering as fast as we wanted," Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
Suzuki said he's "not concerned at all" about Joyce, who the team believes just "needed a couple days." Joyce has permitted two runs (one earned) with a 5:3 K:BB over four innings in his first four rehab outings with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The pause in Joyce's rehab assignment could push back his timetable a bit, but he should still be back before the end of May as long as he's able to get back on the bump this week. The hard-throwing reliever is working his way back from labrum surgery on his right shoulder.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Making another rehab appearance
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) is slated to make a fifth rehab appearance Sunday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
The hard-throwing righty has had uneven results through his first four outings for Rancho Cucamonga, striking out five batters and surrendering just three hits over four innings but yielding two runs (one earned) while issuing three walks and hitting two batters. Joyce is working his way back from labral repair surgery performed last May and may need close to the entirety of his 30-day rehab window before being activated from the 15-day injured list. Once he's reinstated, Joyce should step into a high-leverage role in an Angels bullpen that remains unsettled at the back end.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Beginning assignment Wednesday
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, Taylor Blake Ward of TheSportingTribune.com reports.
Joyce has been throwing live batting practice since mid-April and is now set to make his return to a competitive environment for the first time since undergoing labral repair surgery last May. It's unclear how long the Angels plan on keeping the 25-year-old in the minors, but considering how long he's been sidelined, he will likely get plenty of reps down on the farm before returning to the Halos' bullpen.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Faces hitters Tuesday
Rotowire
Joyce (shoulder) threw live batting practice Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
It's the first time Joyce has thrown against live hitters since he underwent surgery in July 2025 to repair his labrum. The Angels still don't have a firm timeline in place for the right-hander's return, but he will likely require a lengthy rehab assignment before being cleared to return to Los Angeles' bullpen.
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