Mayers was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Royals on Tuesday.
Mayers allowed eight earned runs through 14.1 innings this spring and will likely begin the season with Triple-A Omaha. The 31-year-old reliever recorded a 6.27 ERA and 1.42 in the minors last season.
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Royals' Mike Mayers: Inks minor-league deal
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Mayers signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Thursday.
Mayers was designated for assignment by the Angels in late September, and he elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment. He'll need to settle for a minor-league deal with Kansas City, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him invited to major-league spring training since he spent most of the 2022 campaign in the big leagues.
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Mike Mayers: Chooses free agency
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Mayers elected free agency Thursday, per the Sam Blum of The Athletic.
Mayers spent the majority of the season in the majors with the Angels, and he worked as both a starter and reliever. He didn't experience much success in either role, maintaining a 5.68 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 45:18 K:BB across 50.2 frames. Mayers has been effective as a reliever in past campaigns, so it's possible that he finds a big-league deal with a new club over the winter.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Clears waivers
Rotowire
The Angels outrighted Mayers to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.
Mayers was one of three Angels recently designated for assignment to clear waivers, with first baseman Mike Ford and outfielder Magneuris Sierra also getting outrighted to Triple-A on Sunday. The 30-year-old Mayers is eligible to become a free agent this offseason and may have to settle for a minor-league deal after turning in a 5.68 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 50.2 innings with the Angels in 2022.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Cast off 40-man
Rotowire
Mayers was designated for assignment by the Angels on Tuesday.
After Mayers gave up multiple runs in four of his last five appearances, bringing his ERA to 5.68 for the season, the Angels decided it was time to remove him from their 40-man roster. Now that he's been placed on waivers, there is room for Archie Bradley (elbow) to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Not starting this week
Rotowire
Mayers is expected to remain in the bullpen this week while Tucker Davidson re-enters the rotation to start Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
MLB.com previously listed Mayers as its starter for Tuesday's series opener in Texas, but he'll apparently stick around in a relief role with the Angels giving Davidson another chance to prove his worth as the sixth member of their rotation. Davidson owns a 7.24 ERA in 27.1 innings since arriving via trade from Atlanta on Aug. 2, but Mayers hasn't made an especially compelling case to displace him in the rotation. While covering 30.2 innings of his own since the beginning of August, Mayers has produced a 5.58 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Slated to start Tuesday
Rotowire
Mayers is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Rangers in Arlington.
Even though he was blasted for five earned runs in 3.1 innings in his last appearance out of the bullpen Sept. 11 in Houston, Mayers will get the chance to fill the final opening in the Angels' six-man rotation. He'll be replacing Tucker Davidson, who hasn't appeared since allowing four earned runs in two innings in his start in that same Sept. 11 game. The Angels could end up deploying Davidson as a piggyback pitcher behind Mayers on Tuesday.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Pounded in relief
Rotowire
Mayers allowed five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters against Houston on Sunday. He did not factor in the decision.
Tucker Davidson got the start for the Angels and was charged with four runs over two innings, but three of the runs scored after he departed. Mayers inherited Davidson's bases-loaded, no-out mess in the third and promptly served up a grand slam to Alex Bregman. That was one of two homers Mayers allowed in the game, with the other being a three-run, fifth-inning blast by Trey Mancini. The hurler has been haunted by the long ball this season, serving up 13 homers in 47.1 innings. Mayers had started in each of his previous three appearances, but it appears that his spot in the rotation is tenuous given the long-relief outing Sunday.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Rebounds well against Tigers
Rotowire
Mayers pitched 5.2 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Tigers. He did not factor into the decision.
Mayers tossed three scoreless innings to open Tuesday's outing before Spencer Torkelson ripped an RBI single in the top of the fourth. He later allowed another run in the top of the sixth on a Javier Baez groundout. The 30-year-old rebounded well after he gave up seven runs to the Yankees his last time out, producing his longest start of the campaign. Since joining the Angels rotation Aug. 24, Mayers has compiled a 4.30 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 12 strikeouts over 14.2 frames in three starts.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Hit hard Tuesday
Rotowire
Mayers (1-1) took the loss Tuesday versus the Yankees, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings.
The Yankees did their damage with the long ball, with three homers accounting for the five earned runs on Mayers' line. An error by Luis Rengifo in the third inning allowed two runs to score as well. Mayers' position in the rotation is far from secure, especially after long reliever Touki Toussaint delivered five innings of one-hit ball. Through 20 outings (two starts), Mayers owns a 5.17 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 36:14 K:BB through 38.1 innings this year. If he gets another turn in the rotation, he'd be lined up for a favorable home start versus the Tigers next week, though it's far from guaranteed he'll get that opportunity.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Picks up another start
Rotowire
Mayers is slated to make his next start Tuesday against the Yankees in Anaheim.
After tossing 5.1 innings in long relief Aug. 17, Mayers was summoned into the Angels' six-man rotation last week as a replacement for the struggling Touki Toussaint. In his first start of the season last Wednesday in Tampa Bay, Mayers was excellent, as he struck out five over five shutout frames while scattering two hits and three walks. The home matchup with the Yankees isn't the softest landing spot, though it's perhaps more favorable than earlier in the season with New York having performed as a league-average offense (99 wRC+, 15th in MLB) since the All-Star break.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Five scoreless innings
Rotowire
Mayers did not factor into the decision in Wednesday's extra-innings loss to the Rays, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out five.
Mayers was effective in his first start of the season Wednesday, as he held the Rays scoreless with just 78 pitches through five innings. He struggled a bit with command, as he only threw 46 pitches for strikes and walked three. However, he also struck out a batter per inning. Mayers lowered his ERA to 4.46 with the start, but he still figures to be a risky play for fantasy managers, as he had just three career starts in six MLB seasons coming into this year.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Drawing start Wednesday
Rotowire
Mayers is scheduled to start Wednesday's game at Tampa Bay, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Mayers is presumably stepping into the rotation spot of Touki Toussaint, who could work out of the bullpen for the time being after being blasted for four earned runs on three hits and four walks in 2.2 innings in his last start Aug. 17 against the Mariners. In that same game, Mayers came on in long relief and wasn't any more effective, as he yielded five earned runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings. Mayers tossed 96 pitches in that outing, so he'll be sufficiently stretched out as he steps into the rotation.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Shines in long relief
Rotowire
Mayers struck out four over 3.1 scoreless innings of long relief Saturday in the Angels' 2-1 loss to the Mariners in the first game of a doubleheader. He scattered one hit and two walks in the 69-pitch outing.
Mayers, who had converted to a starting role at Triple-A Salt Lake in late June, was summoned from the minors in advance of the twin bill. He ended up serving as a piggyback starter behind Jaime Barria, who was charged with the loss after surrendering two earned runs on three hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. With the Angels optioning Janson Junk to Triple-A on Saturday, Los Angeles will have a permanent opening in its six-man rotation this week. If neither is needed in long relief during the Angels' upcoming three-game series in Oakland, another Barria/Mayers tandem start could be on tap next weekend versus the Twins.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Contract selected
Rotowire
Mayers' contract was selected by the Angels on Saturday.
Mayers has made 15 relief appearances for the Angels this season, struggling to a 5.40 ERA. He worked as a starter while pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake but struggled to a 6.27 ERA in eight starts, so that experiment may be over. The Angels could lean on Mayers to provide length behind starting pitcher Jaime Barria in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader in Seattle, however, as Barria will be pitching on only two days' rest.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Working as starter in minors
Rotowire
Mayers appears to be transitioning into a starter with Triple-A Salt Lake, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Mayers has started each of the three games in which he has pitched since returning to the minors after being designated for assignment by the Angels on May 26. The right-hander has struggled in that role so far, allowing nine runs and posting an 8:8 K:BB over just 7.2 innings through the three starts. Mayers worked out of the bullpen in each of his 15 games with the big-league club before his demotion, compiling a 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 16.2 innings.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Clears waivers
Rotowire
Mayers cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Mayers was designated for assignment by the Angels on May 26, but he'll remain in the organization. He struggled to a 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 16.2 innings to begin the campaign, though it's possible he rejoins the big-league club at some point in the coming months.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Mayers was designated for assignment by the Angels on Thursday.
Mayers made the Angels' Opening Day roster this season, and he earned a win and a hold while posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 16.2 innings over 15 relief appearances to begin the year. However, he'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster after Juan Lagares' contract was selected by the Angels on Thursday.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Records two outs, earns win
Rotowire
Mayers (1-0) earned the win Sunday in relief against Texas after pitching a scoreless outing, allowing one walk across two-thirds of an inning.
Mayers had been struggling badly to begin the season and gave up five earned runs and three hits while posting a 2:2 K:BB through his first two outings (0.2 innings), but he managed to bounce back here en route to his first win of the campaign. The outing wasn't a dominant one by any means and the command issues are still persistent, as evidenced by his 0:3 K:BB and the fact that he only tossed three of his 10 pitches for strikes, but at least he got the job done when called upon in this one. His fantasy upside remains minimal, though.
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Angels' Mike Mayers: Picks up win Wednesday
Rotowire
Mayers (5-5) earned the win over the White Sox on Wednesday, striking out the side in his lone inning of work.
The right-hander took over in the seventh inning with the score tied 2-2. He needed 16 pitches to strike out all three batters he faced, and he picked up the win as a result of Brandon Marsh's homer in the top of the following frame. Mayers has struck out 82 batters in 66.1 innings this season while notching a career-high 15 holds and two saves.
