Angels recall Barria, DFA Mejia ahead of DH

ARLINGTON -- Before their split doubleheader against the Rangers on Tuesday, the Angels designated left-handed reliever Adalberto Mejía for assignment, recalled right-hander Jaime Barría from Triple-A Salt Lake and brought up right-hander Luke Bard from Salt Lake to shore up the bullpen.

Bard was the extra man on the roster, as MLB rules allow teams to carry a 26th player for doubleheaders. He was returned to Salt Lake after pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the Angels' 3-2 Game 2 defeat.

Mejia retired both batters he faced in Monday’s 11-inning loss to the Rangers. He has a 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings in two stints for the Halos this year, and he has also pitched for the Twins and Cardinals this season.

“There’s so many roster moves nowadays, but obviously this one’s a little different in the sense that we went extra innings and we have to make a move to get pitching help,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “It’s not a move that we wanted to do.”

When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.

Barria was originally scheduled to start the first game Tuesday, but Ausmus pushed him to the night game because Barria had a fever on Monday night. Barria came to Globe Life Park on Tuesday morning and was cleared to pitch. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and one walk, with four strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision.

“We wanted to make sure that he got extra rest,” Ausmus said, “I wasn’t comfortable pitching [him] in 100-degree heat after having a fever. He does not have a fever today, everything looks like it’s full-go.”

Left-hander Andrew Heaney, the planned starter for the 5 p.m. PT night game, started the early game instead, while Barria returned to the Angels’ hotel to rest before his start.

Bard is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in 23 appearances for the Angels this season.