Joyce earned a hold with a scoreless inning against Cleveland on Sunday. He walked one batter and didn't collect any strikeouts.
Joyce was activated from the 60-day IL earlier Sunday after missing three months with an elbow injury. The rookie didn't have pinpoint control in his return to game action -- he threw just seven of 15 pitches for strikes -- but was able to work a scoreless frame around a two-out walk. Joyce is among the organization's top pitching prospects and should get a good look as the non-contending Angels play out the string down the stretch.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Back from 60-day IL
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Joyce (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The right-hander has been sidelined since early June by an elbow injury, and he's been cleared to rejoin the Halos after a two-game rehab assignment with Single-A Inland Empire. Joyce is one of the organization's top prospects and allowed two earned runs with a 5:4 K:BB over four frames in his first taste of the big leagues before going down with the injury.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Moved to 60-day IL
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Joyce (elbow) was transferred Thursday from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
This is a procedural move to clear out a 40-man roster spot following the Angels' trade Wednesday for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Joyce has been out since June 10 and will be sidelined through at least mid-August due to ulnar neuritis in his right elbow.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Set to resume throwing
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Joyce (elbow) is scheduled to play catch Monday on flat ground, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
It'll be his first time picking up a baseball since he went on the injured list June 10 due to right ulnar neuritis. Joyce told reporters last week that he no longer has numbness and tingling in his fingers. If all continues to go smoothly, the hard-throwing youngster could be ready to return to the Angels' bullpen sometime in mid-July.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Currently undergoing MRI
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Joyce (hand) is an undergoing an MRI, and the results aren't expected to be available until after Saturday's game against the Mariners, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
Joyce is not on the lineup card for Saturday's game versus Seattle, so it's likely he'll be placed on the injured list regardless of the results. The right-hander left Friday's appearance without getting an out while dealing with hand irritation and numbness in his fingers. Gerardo Reyes has been recalled from Triple-A to take Joyce's place on the roster.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Expected to be placed on IL
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Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters after Friday's win over Seattle that Joyce (hand) is expected to be placed on the injured list prior to Saturday's game against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Joyce left Friday's game without recording an out while experiencing irritation in his right hand, and he also reportedly felt some numbness in his fingers. The flame-throwing right-hander is likely to miss at last two weeks, but as Fletcher notes, Joyce won't have a clear timeline until he undergoes more testing Saturday.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Leaves with hand irritation
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Joyce left Friday's game against the Mariners with right hand irritation, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Joyce left with a trainer after issuing a walk to Teoscar Hernandez and not being able to record an out in the outing. The right-hander will likely need to undergo further testing, and he should be considered day-to-day until the Angels provide further update on his status.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Call-up official
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The Angels selected Joyce's contract from Double-A Rocket City on Sunday.
Joyce will head to the big leagues less than a year after the organization selected the right-hander in the third round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. The right-hander boasts a fastball that can reach the triple digits with regularity, and he's registered a 3.27 ERA and 17:6 K:BB over his last 11 innings at Double-A. The 22-year-old has dealt with command issues at times, but he has the stuff to provide immediate help to the Los Angeles bullpen. He could get a chance to work in a high-leverage role for the Angels, though he may first have to prove himself in middle-relief situations.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Getting call to majors
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Angels manager Phil Nevin said Joyce will be promoted from Double-A Rocket City ahead of Sunday's game against the Marlins, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
The 22-year-old right-hander will be joining the Anaheim bullpen as a replacement for Matt Moore, who is headed for the 15-day injured list due to an oblique strain. The 2022 third-round pick is a pure relief prospect, but thanks to a big fastball that routinely reaches the triple digits, he has a chance to become one of the top bullpen arms in baseball once he reaches his peak. After a rough start to the season at Double-A, Joyce has been much sharper over the past month, logging a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 11 innings over his last nine appearances. He could immediately step into a key setup role in front of closer Carlos Estevez as he matriculates to the big leagues.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Shows unsteady control in Double-A
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Joyce walked four batters in two-thirds of an inning in a Double-A game for Rocket City on Saturday.
In one of the most unique combined no-hitters to date, Rocket City took a 7-5 loss in the seven-inning affair. Joyce came in to finish off the no-no with his team up 3-0 in the seventh, but he allowed a run on four walks before a two-out error by Jeremiah Jackson in center field allowed three runs to cross the plate. Joyce garnered preseason buzz thanks to his 104 mph fastball and 10 strikeouts over 6.2 innings, but control issues were evident as he also walked six over that span. The Angels' bullpen has been middle-of-the road with a 3.62 ERA so far this season, and Joyce's name tends to come up as a potential call-up whenever an upgrade is discussed. However, he'll likely need to demonstrate improved control before the big club summons him to majors.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Avoiding altitude at Double-A
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Joyce will open the year with Double-A Rocket City due to the way the altitude in Salt Lake impacts pitching development, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
For a pitcher who was the talk of the Angels' bullpen during spring training and didn't get reassigned until this past weekend, it would have seemed likely for Joyce to open the year at Triple-A. As Blum notes, Chase Silseth was held at Double-A last year before getting promoted to the majors, so this is a tactic the Angels like to use with young pitchers given the alternative of sending them to the Pacific Coast League. Joyce is a strong candidate to pitch his way to the majors if he stays healthy and could be the Angels' long-term closer.
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Angels' Ben Joyce: Reassigned to minor-league camp
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Joyce was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Angels on Friday.
Joyce showed off his impressive fastball during his time in camp with the Angels -- clocking as high as 104 mph on radar guns -- but he also walked five over six appearances to suggest his command isn't quite big-league ready. The former University of Tennessee star will open in the upper levels, and he could be an option for the Angels' bullpen before the end of 2023.
