Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street has not appeared in a game since April 23, and he’s headed to the disabled list with an oblique injury.
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Angels Fill Street’s Roster Slot
Friday, April 29
The Angels PR team announced Cam Bedrosian has been recalled from Triple-A to fill Street’s spot on the roster.
Street Remains Among Baseball’s Most Consistent Closers
Fletcher said Joe Smith would assume the closing responsibilities if Street does eventually go on the disabled list, and the team would probably call up Al Alburquerque or Cam Bedrosian from the minor leagues to fill the vacated roster spot.
Street has been impressive in nine appearances this season with a 1.17 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and five saves in five save opportunities. While it is a small sample size, the ERA is more in line with what fans saw of Street the past few seasons than his 3.18 mark for the Angels in 2015:
Street played for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Angels throughout his career and is a two-time All-Star and the 2005 American League Rookie of the Year. His 320 career saves are 18th in baseball history, per Baseball-Reference.com, which is a testament to his longevity and ability to come through with the game on the line for his team in the final inning.
The 32-year-old provides a reliable, veteran presence in the backend of the Angels bullpen and is one reason the team is only a game out of first place in the American League West through the early portion of the season.
The silver lining for Los Angeles is the fact Smith looked comfortable closing Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. He pitched a scoreless inning and allowed a single hit as he preserved the victory and moved the Angels back to .500 at 11-11.
Smith was used more in a setup role for Los Angeles last season and notched 32 holds, but he proved he was capable of finishing games in 2014 when he tallied 15 saves behind a sparkling 1.81 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. If he posts numbers like that while Street recovers, the Angels will likely still be well within striking distance in the division when the closer returns.
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