LOS ANGELES — Going from being a talented prospect to a major leaguer can’t actually be as simple as Samy Natera made it sound.
“The whole org preaches just getting ahead and finishing guys when you’re ahead,” the left-handed reliever said. “Just simplifying the game. Trusting my stuff. That’s why we’re here.”
Natera, 26, had been in the Angels’ farm system since he was drafted out of New Mexico State in 2022. He finished last season at Triple-A and returned to Salt Lake to start this season.
When he was promoted on Friday for his first time on a major league roster, Natera had a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings, with 44 strikeouts and 18 walks. Over the past month, Natera had 26 strikeouts and four walks in 15⅓ innings.
Natera mostly throws a 95 mph fastball and an 85 mph slider. He had a 31% whiff rate on his fastball and a 41% whiff rate on his slider in Triple-A this season.
“I’m excited,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said of having Natera in the bullpen. “I saw him in spring training a lot and obviously we know he’s a big, physical guy, throws hard, good stuff. It looks like the last month, he really turned it on and is throwing the ball better than he has ever. So, I’m really excited to see him.”
Natera got a taste of what the big leagues will be like when he pitched for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic this spring. He pitched in two games, working 1⅓ scoreless innings, with three strikeouts. He struck out Seattle Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh in his outing against Team USA.
“It was amazing,” Natera said. “It’s the best feeling to be able to represent my country. We came up short, but it was a great experience.”
ANOTHER 4-BASE ERROR
Major League Baseball changed the scoring on the play in which a ball hit off Jo Adell’s head and went over the fence on Tuesday. It was originally ruled a home run, but it’s now a four-base error.
A four-base error is rare, but Adell now has two of them. In 2020, in his first weeks in the majors, a ball deflected off his glove and over the fence in Texas. That was also ruled a home run initially before being changed to an error.
REHAB FOR SCHANUEL
Nolan Schanuel was scheduled to play all nine innings at first base on Friday night for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Schanuel has been on the injured list because of ankle inflammation.
The Angels were undecided if Schanuel needed a rehab assignment or not, but Schanuel ultimately said that he’d be more comfortable if he could have that test.
“We don’t want to feel like we’re rushing him or pushing him,” Suzuki said. “If he has a couple games of rehab, it might be good for him both mentally just to know he’s got over that hump and then to get back out there with confidence.”
The Angels will have an interesting roster decision to make when Schanuel is reinstated. None of the current bench players – other than catcher Sebastian Rivero – can be optioned, so they would have to designate someone for assignment.
FAITH IN KOCHANOWICZ
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz is scheduled to start on Saturday night against the Dodgers, although the Angels considered both skipping his turn and having him pitch behind an opener.
Kochanowicz has a 9.27 ERA over his last five games, with 14 walks in 22⅓ innings.
“We looked at all the options, like openers and all that type of stuff and we just felt like Jack going out there and starting gives the best chance,” Suzuki said. “We’ll see how he does.”
NOTES
The Angels scratched infielder Vaughn Grissom (left side tightness) and designated hitter Jorge Soler (hip tightness) before Friday’s game. Grissom is day to day. Soler was removed from Wednesday’s game with a similar issue. …
Zach Neto returned to the lineup after missing three games with head and neck injuries sustained during a home-plate collision last weekend against Tampa Bay. Suzuki said Neto “kept being disappointed” when he was held out of the lineup. “Sometimes you’ve got to protect them from themselves,” Suzuki said. …
The Angels designated right-hander shaun Anderson for assignment to open spots for Natera on the 26- and 40-man rosters.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 2-4, 5.23 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-4, 2.86 ERA), Saturday, 7:10 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM