MLB news

Bachman returns to Los Angeles’ bullpen for the home stretch of the season. He’s been out since early August with nerve inflammation in his right forearm. He’s posted a respectable 4.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 46/27 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings over 41 relief appearances this season.

Bachman hits the shelf after telling reporters that he was dealing with some arm fatigue over the weekend. The 26-year-old holds a serviceable 4.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 46/27 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings over 41 relief appearances in the big leagues this season. There’s a chance he’s done for the season with less than two months left on the calendar.

Bachman left Sunday’s appearance against the Brewers after picking up just one out and issuing a walk. The right-hander believes he’ll be ok, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he missed a couple more days at least.

The Angels again used Ryan Zeferjahn in the eighth tonight, and he allowed one run to narrow the Angels’ lead to 4-2. José Fermin got the ball to start the ninth, but he retired just one of four batters, thanks to a HBP and a Vaughn Grissom error. Bachman took over afterwards and walked two, hit a batter and committed an error on a roller hit right to him. Two ugly flops in two days should take Bachman out of the ninth-inning mix for a spell and perhaps restore Kirby Yates to late-game duty. Zeferjahn remains the Angels’ most interesting reliever, but as long as Kurt Suzuki keeps managing like this, it’s hard to justify playing anyone in the bunch.

Bachman was asked to protect a two-run lead, and couldn’t after giving up a two-run homer to Jonah Heim. Kirby Yates also struggled in the 10th, walking and hitting a batter before exiting and taking the loss after Nick Kurtz drew a free pass with the bases loaded. Bachman could get more save chances, but it’s far from a guarantee, and fantasy managers need to be awfully desperate to consider him an option in leagues.

Bachman has emerged as one of the Angels’ most trusted relievers and was working on a streak of 12 straight scoreless appearances before giving up his third and fourth homers of the season today. It seems like a setback for his chances of earning saves and probably gives Kirby Yates’ scant fantasy value a little boost.

Bachman did the heavy lifting in the Angels’ bullpen game today. He came in after Sam Aldegheri gave a up a Ben Rice homer to start the sixth, cutting the Angels’ lead to two runs, and faced the minimum through the eighth, picking off the lone player to reach against him. It really should have gotten more than a hold, but the win went to Aldegheri. Bachman has a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings out of the Angels pen. There’s a chance he could factor into the mix for saves if veterans don’t step up, though he’d have to cut down on the walks first. He’s already issued eight.

Bachman got the chance to close with Jordan Romano unavailable, as Romano had pitched in the last two games. He looked fine in the eighth, but he gave up a bloop double to Cal Raleigh, and Julio Rodríguez knocked Raleigh in to give Bachman the blown save. The former first-round pick will be a high-leverage option for Los Angeles, but not likely one who sees many save chances.

With Robert Stephenson (elbow) landing on the injured list, Bachman will get another chance to show what he can do out of the Angels’ bullpen. He has made 19 appearances with the team already on the season, compiling a 4.96 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and a 14/6 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings of work. Expect him to be used in the middle innings.