Halos' Single-A squad gets a boost with rehabbing Frazier, d'Arnaud, Rivero, Kikuchi

ANAHEIM -- The Angels transferred a trio of rehabbing players to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, as infielder Adam Frazier and catchers Travis d'Arnaud and Sebastián Rivero are all nearing returns from the injured list.

Additionally, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will start his rehab assignment with Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday and is scheduled to throw three innings. Frazier started at second base, d’Arnaud was behind the plate to catch No. 7 Angels prospect Dylan Jordan and Rivero started at designated hitter for the Quakes on Tuesday.

“They're gonna play tonight, see how they feel tomorrow,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said before Tuesday’s game against the Astros. “We’re gonna get Travis back-to-back. See how he feels. That’s the plan right now.”

As Suzuki noted, d’Arnaud is scheduled to catch nine innings on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and could return on Friday against the Brewers after Thursday’s off-day. The 14-year veteran has been out since May 6 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

He previously played in six rehab games with Triple-A Salt Lake, hitting .278 with a double and two RBIs. The 37-year-old slashed .200/.300/.314 with a homer and three RBIs in 14 games with the Angels before sustaining the injury while running to first base. He's in the second season of a two-year, $12 million deal.

“Back-to-back is something that we like to see before we talk about activating him,” Suzuki said. “He’s going to play nine innings in both games.”

Rivero has been out since June 9 after suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on a swing, and is considered a bit behind d’Arnaud. He began his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with a homer while catching five innings.

Rivero will need to continue to ramp up his catching workload, but he’s been able to throw without any issues because the injury was to his left hand. Rivero, 27, slashed .245/.286/.283 with two doubles and eight RBIs in 24 games with the Angels this season before the injury, and was in the midst of a 7-for-7 stretch at the plate.

Rivero can also be optioned to Salt Lake, when healthy, but the Angels will have to decide what to do when d’Arnaud returns. The most likely decision is to designate veteran Tyler Heineman for assignment, but Logan O’Hoppe does have Minor League options.

“When the time comes, obviously we'll have those conversations,” Suzuki said. “For now, with O'Hoppe and Heineman here, that's our focus, and when those guys are ready we'll have those conversations.”

Frazier, meanwhile, also played in six rehab games with Salt Lake, batting .217 with two doubles and two RBIs. He’s been sidelined with a right elbow strain since June 5, and he slashed .210/.297/.333 with a homer, five doubles and six RBIs in 41 games before the injury.

Like d’Arnaud, there’s a chance he’ll be back as soon as Friday, but he might need more at-bats before he’s reinstated. The Angels could option rookie third baseman Denzer Guzman to make room for him on the roster.

“Frazier, we’ll see how he does,” Suzuki said. “He might be getting close, too.”

Kikuchi will officially begin his rehab assignment on Thursday after he faced hitters at the club’s Spring Training complex in Arizona on Saturday. He’s been shelved since April 29 with left shoulder inflammation and said he believes he’ll need three starts before rejoining the rotation.

It would put Kikuchi in line for a return in mid-August, which he said has been his target. The lefty posted a 5.81 ERA in seven starts before being shut down, and is in the second season of a three-year, $63 million deal.

“I've been recovering well and my velo’s coming back,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Koki Goto. “Everything is going as planned from the plan I made right after the injury. So, it's a good sign that things are going smoothly.”