ANAHEIM -- George Klassen’s strong run in the Angels’ rotation has been interrupted by a trip to the 15-day injured list.
The rookie right-hander was placed on IL with left lower back inflammation before Sunday’s series finale against the Phillies. The move was made retroactive to Thursday, when Klassen first started feeling the issue, three days after he gave up two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Guardians.
Klassen said the injury is already improving and that he can still play catch.
“It’s getting better,” Klassen said. “Just need a little rest, I think.
It’s a long season, we're getting to the back end of it. So in just a couple of days, we'll be all right.”
The 24-year-old has gone 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 21 walks in 27 innings over six starts this season. After rough outings in early April, he earned his way back into the rotation with a strong stretch at Triple-A Salt Lake, then returned on Aug.
- Since then, he’s been one of the more encouraging arms in the Angels’ group, posting a 2.01 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 11 walks across 22 1/3 innings in four starts.
“A lot of positives to take from every day and days in between,” Klassen said. “Just keep building off things and stacking them.”
The Angels will now go back to a five-man rotation, with lefty relievers Mitch Farris and Blake Weiman recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake and right-hander Trevor Martin optioned.
That rotation had been operating as a six-man setup after left-hander Yusei Kikuchi returned to action and started Sunday against Philadelphia. Kikuchi rejoined the group on Aug. 23 after missing roughly four months with left shoulder inflammation.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the club does not expect Klassen to be sidelined for long and does not view this as a season-ending situation. He also pointed out that Klassen has thrown 118 combined innings between Triple-A and the Majors this year, compared with 108 2/3 innings in the Minors last season.
“He felt it a little bit, and obviously, just out of precaution,” Suzuki said. “Just want to make sure that we can get it before it turns into something big.
But he's not concerned. I'm not concerned, either.
It's just to stay ahead of it.”
Suzuki has liked what he’s seen from Klassen, who is part of a young wave in the rotation that also includes right-handers Walbert Ureña and Ryan Johnson. Since the start of August, Angels starters have put together a 2.57 ERA, the best mark in the Majors entering Sunday.
“He's been great,” Suzuki said of Klassen. “He's been making huge strides, and I think the consistency has been getting better and better every time he gets out. You can kind of see the comfort level within every start, right?”
Klassen had been lined up to start Monday against the Yankees, but Ureña is now expected to take that turn. Suzuki said the Angels are still sorting out the rotation beyond that, though pushing the starters back a day appears to be the most likely plan with an off-day coming Thursday.
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