ARLINGTON -- After the Angels acquired Ty Buttrey from the Red Sox as part of the Ian Kinsler trade on July 30, general manager Billy Eppler said the 25-year-old right-hander was "pretty darn close to Major League ready."
He was right.
Buttrey received his first MLB callup on Thursday after reliever Hansel Robles was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement. Buttrey replaced Robles in the Angels' bullpen, where he reunited with left-hander Williams Jerez, who also came over from Boston in the Kinsler deal.
"I'm trying to stay as calm and collected as I can, but obviously, this is a dream come true," said Buttrey, who threw a scoreless inning against the Rangers in his big league debut in an 8-6 loss on Thursday. "I've been thinking about this day for a long time."
A fourth-round Draft pick of the Red Sox in 2012, Buttrey has enjoyed a breakout season in the Minors this year, logging a 2.25 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 15 walks over 48 innings in Triple-A between time with Salt Lake and Pawtucket. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Buttrey has a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball that touches 99 mph, a changeup and a slider.
"I think finally I had this confidence that I've been searching for for a while," Buttrey said. "Just being a high school guy and being a tall guy, it took a long time for me to get my mechanics and get everything sound. It's hard with all these moving parts sometimes. Being a bigger guy, one little thing throws it off and you're missing. I kind of simplified some things mechanically. I was able to cut down my walks and was able to throw more strikes, challenging guys, so that was pretty cool."
While Jerez made his Angels debut one week after the trade, Buttrey's path to the Majors was briefly slowed by a bout of right knee inflammation. Buttrey said the malady was "nothing serious," though it affected his mechanics and prevented him from pitching in a game for more than two weeks.
Buttrey, the club's No. 27 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was activated off the disabled list on Aug. 9 and made four appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake before learning that he would be joining the Angels on Wednesday.
"He's big and strong," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's got a power arm. We're excited to take a look at him. We'll see where he fits in, but he's got a really good arm."
Buttrey's arrival will help make up for the loss of Robles, who posted a 3.75 ERA over 24 innings with the Angels after being claimed off waivers from the Mets in June. Scioscia said Robles complained of stiffness in his shoulder following his outing against the Padres on Tuesday.
Tests showed only inflammation in Robles' shoulder, giving the Angels hope that he'll be able to return after 10 days.
"He felt a little bit of stiffness, tiredness and inflammation," Scioscia said. "We're just going to make sure we take care of this. Everything should be OK in the 10-day period."
Worth noting
• Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne, who was acquired from the Marlins on Tuesday, will start against the Rangers on Friday in his Angels debut. He will replace the injured Nick Tropeano in the club's rotation. Scioscia said the Despaigne, 31, will likely be limited to 75-80 pitches.
"He's got a good arm," Scioscia said. "He definitely has good movement. He has a good cutter, breaking ball, change. Good movement on his fastball. He kind of pitches off of that. He works off of soft contact. Hopefully he'll get in there and give us a chance to win tomorrow."
• Shohei Ohtani will throw a light bullpen session on Friday at Globe Life Park, followed by a "little more aggressive" throwing session in Arizona next week. Ohtani has not pitched since June 6 because of a sprained right elbow ligament, though the Angels have been encouraged by the trajectory of his rehab so far.
• Michael Trout remains away from the team as he mourns the loss of his brother-in-law, Aaron Cox, who died on Wednesday. Scioscia said the Angels have no further information on when Trout might rejoin the club. Trout is currently on the disabled list with right wrist inflammation, though he was eligible to be activated Thursday.