Angels’ Ben Joyce Back on Rehab Assignment After Huge Setback

Los Angeles Angels reliever Ben Joyce returned to his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday.

Joyce has spent more than a year on the injured list after undergoing shoulder surgery last season, and only began ramping back up to speed this season. Joyce initially went on his rehab assignment in May, pitching four times, but the Angels shut him down once again without any explanation.

The Orange County Register‘s Jeff Fletcher reports Joyce had issue bouncing back after his last appearance in Single-A, so the Angels kept him from continuing his rehab. Through his four appearances in the minors, Joyce allowed two runs (one earned) through four innings of work, while striking out five batters.

He made his first appearance in the ACL on Tuesday, and only lasted 0.2 innings against the Complex League’s Cubs. Joyce allowed two walks, two hits and two earned runs in the outing on 22 pitches.

The right-hander broke out for the Angels in 2024, throwing in 31 games for the Angels while maintaining a 2.08 ERA. He struck out 33 batters in 34.1 innings pitched, and turned heads when he threw a 105.5 mph fastball—the fastest recorded pitch in the statcast era thrown by a player not named Aroldis Chapman—to strikeout Tommy Edman.

He came back in 2025, but only pitched five times to a 6.23 ERA before his injury ended his season.

Do the Angels Need Ben Joyce Back?

While Joyce’s numbers throughout his rehab assignment aren’t anything special, the Angels could use any help they can get to get them back on the right track this season.

They’ve lost their last seven games, and their bullpen is among the worst in MLB. They have a collective ERA of 4.70 in relief, which only outranks the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Athletics, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies.

Joyce is an MLB-proven reliever with unstoppable velocity, and his addition to a disheveled Angels bullpen could infuse some life into what has been an unwatchable season from the Halos so far. The Angels’ next game comes against the Texas Rangers on the road Wednesday at 5:05 p.m. PT.

The post Angels’ Ben Joyce Back on Rehab Assignment After Huge Setback appeared first on LA Sports Report.