The Los Angeles Angels announced on Thursday that right-hander Chase Silseth will be promoted and will make his big-league debut on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics. Silseth, selected in the 11th round last summer from the University of Arizona, will become the first player from Major League Baseball's 2021 amateur draft to reach The Show.
The Angels will have to make corresponding moves to add Silseth to their 26- and 40-player rosters.
Silseth, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on May 18, has appeared in just eight games as a professional, including five this season. He's spent the year to date in Double-A, where he's compiled a 1.73 ERA and a 5.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Coming into the spring, Baseball America ranked him as the 12th best prospect in Los Angeles' farm system. Here's their scouting report at the time:
Silseth has a lively fastball that averages 96 mph and touches 98 mph. He has a good feel for a slurvy curveball with 12-to-6 break in the 78-82 mph range and a tight mid-80s slider. Both have a chance to be plus pitches, although he gets more swings and misses with his curveball. Silseth also keeps hitters off-balance with a low-80s splitter with good depth that is often mistaken for a changeup. He generally throws strikes early in his outings, but his command suffers as games wear on and he gets tired.
Silseth will become the ninth different pitcher to make a start for the Angels this season.
The Angels are scheduled to begin a four-game series against the Athletics on Friday that will include a Saturday doubleheader. The Angels, who had Thursday off, will enter with a 21-12 record on the season. That may be good enough for first place in the American League West, depending on the result of the second game of Thursday's doubleheader between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins. a
