Young called up; Blash optioned to Triple-A

ANAHEIM -- Eric Young Jr. is back with the Angels.
Young, who provided a brief but memorable spark for the Angels shortly after Mike Trout landed on the disabled list in May 2017, was called up Friday for his first stint in the Majors this season and replaced fellow outfielder Jabari Blash, who was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. To clear a spot for Young on the 40-man roster, the Angels transferred left-hander John Lamb (Tommy John surgery) to the 60-day disabled list.
Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels value Young's ability to play all three outfield spots and his speed, though he added that the decision was also driven by the desire to get Blash more at-bats in the Minors, as he had started only one game since being recalled on July 13. With a starting outfield comprised of Trout, Justin Upton and Kole Calhoun, the Angels don't have a lot of playing time to offer their fourth outfielder.

"I don't know if we had the at-bats for him right now to be able to go out there and contribute," Scioscia said. "I think that he's been up here and hasn't had a lot of at-bats. You definitely want him to go down there and be ready if the opportunity comes. I think Eric has a little bit more versatility, being able to play some center. He'll certainly be able to do some things off the bench if we want to insert some speed."
Young, a 33-year-old switch-hitter, was batting .300 with an .820 OPS, five home runs, 34 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 84 games with Triple-A Salt Lake this season.
Worth noting
• Rookie Jaime Barría enjoyed an impressive run with the Angels after making his MLB debut in April, but he's fallen into a bit of a rut recently. Barria, who will start on Saturday against the Mariners, is 0-6 with a 5.19 ERA in his last seven starts, a notable spike from the 2.48 ERA he posted in his first seven outings with the Angels.

"I think some of it is commanding counts," Scioscia said. "Some of it is just making some mistakes that at times you're not going to get away with. But he's out there, he's competing very well. I think in some of those games where it hasn't gone as smooth, he's still given us opportunities to win a game, and that's all you're asking. Jaime will continue to grow. He's a young pitcher. This experience is going to make him better from start to start."
• With analysts Mark Gubicza and Jose Mota heading to Cooperstown this weekend for Vladimir Guerrero's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Dontrelle Willis and Adam Kennedy will join the Fox Sports West crew during this series against the Mariners. Willis will be paired with play-by-play man Victor Rojas in the booth, while Kennedy will team up with Patrick O'Neal for the pre- and post-game shows.