Angels’ Reid Detmers brings lessons from bullpen in return to the rotation

TEMPE, Ariz. — As Logan O’Hoppe saw it from his squat behind the plate, the difference between Reid Detmers, the successful reliever, and Reid Detmers, the inconsistent starter, was not in the pitches that he threw.

It was in the way that he threw them.

“It was the conviction in each one of his pitches,” the Angels catcher said. “He seemed much more comfortable throwing anything in any count.”

Detmers, whose performance out of the bullpen earned him another shot at the rotation this year, agreed. The lessons he took from his season as a reliever were in his mindset.

“I spent a lot of time this offseason thinking about that,” Detmers said. “I think the main thing was, when I was starting in the past, I had a hard time putting guys away. I would always get ahead and have a hard time putting guys away.”

Detmers, 26, acknowledged he would nibble around the zone trying to get hitters to chase with two strikes, instead of simply burying them.

Last year, he was in “attack mode.”

In 2024, Detmers allowed hitters to hit .209 after an 0-2 count. That doesn’t sound so bad, but the major league average was .163.

That contributed to his struggles as a starter. In 75 major league starts, Detmers had a 4.90 ERA. Opponents had a .759 OPS against him. That was the cumulative result of a span in which he was wildly inconsistent, going from a pitcher dominant enough to throw a no-hitter as a rookie in 2022 to one bad enough to get shipped back to Triple-A in 2024.

Last season, the Angels moved him to the bullpen, and he had a 3.96 ERA in 61 games. Opponents produced a .677 OPS against him. After a miserable three-game stretch in late April and early May, he had a 2.19 ERA over his final 49 games.

Detmers said the pitch mix he used as a reliever will be the same now that he’s back in the rotation.

He threw his four-seam fastball 45% of the time and his slider 31%. Hitters whiffed on 41% of their swings at his slider. The major league whiff rate on sliders last season was 32%.

“Detmers coming back in the rotation, I’m really excited about that,” general manager Perry Minasian said. “I feel like he’s primed for a big year. We’ve seen him in the rotation in the past. We’ve seen him have great (games). He threw a no-hitter. So, there’s significant upside there.”

By all accounts, Detmers handled his move to the bullpen well, although he always said he eventually hoped to return to the rotation.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I feel like I learned a lot coming out of the bullpen that I can transfer over to starting. I’m just ready to get back there and have some fun. I’m not trying to overthink or anything. Just go out and have fun and see what happens.”

One issue worth monitoring with Detmers is how he handles the workload as a starter after a year as a reliever, especially because he missed the end of last season on the injured list, with inflammation in his elbow.

“It’s all good,” Detmers said of his elbow. “Fully healthy.”

MONCADA RETURNS

Third baseman Yoán Moncada arrived in camp 20 pounds lighter than last season.

Moncada said through an interpreter that “one of the primary reasons” that he lost the weight was to help him stay on the field. He missed about half the season last year with various injuries, including a knee injury that limited him even when he was playing.

Moncada, 30, has not played 100 games in a season since 2022.

“I want to stay on the field as long as I can,” he said. “That’s why I worked hard, to stay as long as possible. That’s my goal.”

The Angels signed Moncada to a $4 million deal last month, bringing him back for $1 million less than they paid him in 2025. They need him because he’s a switch-hitter who balances their righty-heavy lineup. He also works counts and draws walks better than most of the Angels’ hitters.

His 26% strikeout rate last season was worse than the major league average, but third best among Angels who had 200 plate appearances last season. Only Nolan Schanuel (13%) and Luis Rengifo (19%) were better.

“Putting the ball in play — it’s no mystery that’s something that we struggled with,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “To have somebody like that, to help us in that department, is definitely a huge piece for our lineup.”

The Angels may not get to see that much of Moncada in spring training, because he’s set to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic.

NOTES

Left-handers Yusei Kikuchi and Sam Aldegheri each faced hitters on Sunday. None of the other pitchers in camp have progressed that far, but Kikuchi and Aldegheri are ahead of schedule because they’re going to pitch in the WBC. Kikuchi is not going to pitch in any Angels exhibition games before heading to Japan for the WBC. …

Zach Neto was one of the hitters who faced Kikuchi on Sunday. Neto was the only one of the projected everyday players to participate. Although most of the hitters have been around camp, the first official full-squad workout will be Monday. …

Right-hander Caden Dana returned after missing nearly a week of workouts because of an illness. The Angels will have to monitor Dana to see how far behind he is because of the absence.