Yates activated to give needed boost to Angels' bullpen

ANAHEIM -- The Angels’ bullpen received some much-needed help Tuesday, as veteran Kirby Yates was activated from the 15-day injured list after missing the first 36 games of the season with left knee inflammation.

Yates, who signed a one-year deal worth $5 million in the offseason, was reinstated after he pitched in four rehab games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Triple-A Salt Lake, including throwing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on Saturday. Lefty Tayler Saucedo was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Yates on the roster.

“It took a little longer than I was anticipating when I first got hurt,” Yates said. “But we're here and we're back and it's go time. Feels good.”

Yates, 39, sustained the injury late in Spring Training and said it caused him to lose weight and strength because he wasn’t able to participate in full workouts due to his knee issue. But he said he’s fully regained his weight after losing seven to eight pounds, and believes his strength is almost all the way back.

“My legs are under me,” Yates said. “They'll get better as the season progresses. The toughest part for me is going to be these first two weeks. After that, once I settle in and get comfortable, I feel like my mechanics will start to get in the right spot and be repeatable. And then I’ll feel comfortable out there again.”

Yates, though, has been pitching with lower velocity than he did in Spring Training and last year, as his fastball has mostly been around 90 mph in his rehab appearances, compared to 92.8 mph with the Dodgers last year. But Yates said velocity has never been a big part of his game and believes it will get better as he continues to get stronger.

“Everybody keeps talking about the velo and whatever, but I think the command and life's there and that's all I really ever care about,” Yates said. “It's not like I was a flamethrower. It's just deception and life, and if I have both of those, I can get guys to cheat to get to my heater a little bit and then I can play the split off of that.”

Yates adds some potential stability to a bullpen that has struggled this year, as Angels relievers entered Tuesday with a 5.48 ERA that ranks as the second-worst mark in the Majors ahead of only the Astros (6.22 ERA). Yates has a career 3.36 ERA in 11 seasons in the Majors, with 98 saves.

“It's great,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Not just obviously for the pitcher he is, but I think just for that veteran presence. Just having him in the bullpen and the comfort of a guy like him with that experience that he has is definitely nice.”

Yates is the first of the club’s injured pitchers to return, as Alek Manoah (fingernail), Ryan Johnson (viral infection, hamstring discomfort) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) remain on rehab assignments with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Manoah started on Saturday and Johnson on Sunday, while Joyce made his third relief appearance Tuesday afternoon, allowing one run in one inning. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) is also scheduled to throw five innings in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday.

Joyce, whose fastball has been around 101-103 mph in his outings, is considered the most likely to be the next to be activated from the injured list but he could need at least one more relief appearance before he joins the bullpen.

“It looked really good, but at the end of the day, you have to see how he feels, and confidence is a lot too,” Suzuki said. “If he feels ready to go, then that's a lot that goes into it as well.”