After tough outing, Lamb lands on disabled list
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BOSTON -- Injuries continue to eat away at the Angels' rotation depth, as the club placed John Lamb on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his left shoulder and elbow on Wednesday and recalled right-hander Jake Jewell from Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels also optioned right-hander Akeel Morris to clear a roster spot for infielder Nolan Fontana.
Manager Mike Scioscia said Lamb complained of stiffness following his start against the Red Sox on Tuesday, when he yielded five runs (three earned) over 1 2/3 innings in a 9-1 loss.
"It just kind of happened after he came out," Scioscia said. "He was getting a little stiff in his shoulder. His arm didn't feel great, so we'll take a step backwards with John, get him evaluated and see where we are."
Lamb recorded a 7.20 ERA in three starts this season. The 27-year-old left-hander is the seventh Angels starter to land on the DL, joining Garrett Richards, Nick Tropeano, Shohei Ohtani, JC Ramirez, Matt Shoemaker and Alex Meyer.
Right-hander Deck McGuire will replace Lamb in the rotation and start on Sunday in Baltimore. McGuire threw 55 pitches over four innings in relief of Lamb on Tuesday, though he surrendered three solo home runs to the Red Sox.
"There's no doubt that [McGuire's] got a good arm," Scioscia said. "He certainly got stretched out last night. He's got a sneaky fastball. He's got good life, spins the ball well. He got behind some hitters last night, which didn't help, but he was fine."
McGuire, who was acquired from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations last week, primarily worked out of the rotation in the Minors and started eight games for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate this year. He started two games for the Reds in 2017, allowing six runs (four earned) over eight innings (4.50 ERA). He will become the 12th pitcher to start a game for the Angels this season.
Worth noting
• Richards (strained left hamstring) threw another bullpen session on Wednesday, though the Angels are still evaluating what his next step will be. Richards said previously that he believes he'll need at least one rehab appearance before he's ready to rejoin the rotation.
• Mike Trout tested his strained right index finger in a long-toss session on Wednesday, though he still started his eighth consecutive game at designated hitter. Trout said on Tuesday that his return to center field is day to day.
• Tropeano (inflammation in right shoulder) has begun a throwing progression, but Scioscia cautioned that "there's a process he has to go through" before he's ready to return.