After 'long month' and tough outing, Detmers optioned to Triple-A

SEATTLE -- Giving up a two-out grand slam to J.P. Crawford on a hanging 2-2 curveball with two outs in the fourth inning was the last straw for left-hander Reid Detmers on Saturday.

Detmers was surprisingly optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after struggling in yet another start, as he’s been in a tough stretch over his last eight outings. After allowing five runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 9-0 loss to the Mariners at T-Mobile Park to drop to 3-6 with a 6.14 ERA in 12 starts, Detmers was optioned for the second time in his career. He was also sent down as a rookie in 2022 before coming back up and having success the rest of the way.

“It just sucks, there’s no other way to put it,” Detmers said. “I just have to be better. You can take it two ways. You can pout about it and not get better or go there and get to work and figure some stuff out and get called back up.”

It's been a rollercoaster ride this year for Detmers, who has been a streaky pitcher throughout his career despite having elite stuff from the left side. After an incredible start to the season that saw him post a 1.19 ERA through his first four outings, he’s struggled to find any consistency.

It has left Detmers searching for answers, as he hasn’t been able to put together any impressive runs like he did earlier in the year. Detmers has posted an 8.93 ERA over his last eight starts -- having allowed at least three earned runs in all eight -- including going 0-3 with a 9.49 ERA in five May outings.

“It’s been tough,” said an emotional Detmers. “It’s been a long month.”

Manager Ron Washington said they simply want Detmers to be able to work on his stuff in a stress-free environment in the Minors. They’re hopeful it’ll be a short stint like in ‘22, when he struck out 14 in six innings in his one start at Triple-A before posting a 3.04 ERA in 13 starts the rest of the way with the Angels.

“He just hasn't been able to consistently put hitters away,” Washington said. “Like today, he was ahead of hitters all day long but then the next thing you know it was 3-2. He just couldn’t command his slider, which is his pitch. The whole idea is to get him in an environment where it’s not about results. It’s about finding your stuff."

This time, his undoing came during a laborious fourth frame. With two outs and a runner at first, Detmers started to lose his command and walked Luke Raley after falling behind 3-0 before issuing a four-pitch walk to Ryan Bliss, who was still looking for his first career hit.

That brought up Crawford, who has been one of the better hitters in baseball with the bases loaded in his career. Detmers got ahead with a fastball and was ahead with a 1-2 count before he threw two sliders to Crawford. Crawford fouled one off and took another for a ball. Detmers mixed it up by going with his curveball but he left it up in the zone and Crawford didn’t miss it.

Detmers said if he had his slider, it wouldn’t have been an issue, so it’s a pitch he’ll work on at Triple-A Salt Lake.

“Walks haven’t really been an issue other than the two starts, it’s more about the command of the slider and stop spraying fastballs,” he said. “I need to get the slider back. I think that’s the first thing. And then I need to get my mindset right and get my confidence back. But the main thing is to get my out-pitch, which I haven’t really had all year.”

His short outing caused the Angels to use Carson Fulmer and Roansy Contreras for 1 2/3 innings each. Both had similar lines, giving up two runs on two hits. To save the bullpen, infielder Cole Tucker threw a scoreless eighth inning in his first career pitching appearance.

The Angels are expected to call up a reliever to replace Detmers and will decide who will make his next start. They could just skip his turn with an off-day on Thursday.

“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Washington said. “We’re going to discuss it.”