ANAHEIM -- Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce won’t be pitching on his bobblehead night Friday at Angel Stadium due to his status on the injured list, and it doesn’t look like he’s any closer to a return, either.
Joyce, who has been on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation since April 11, gave an update on his recovery process with reporters on Friday, but the update was mostly that there was no update.
“I'd say it's feeling a little better, I don't know,” Joyce said. “It's kind of the same as it has been, but it's obviously less sore not throwing in games and stuff. But the same as it has been.”
Joyce added that he had played catch “once or twice,” but shut it down after his shoulder didn’t quite feel ready yet. As a result, his rehab has consisted of treatment and strengthening exercises with the goal of reevaluating his shoulder next week and deciding the next steps from there.
While it’s not technically a setback, the lack of progress isn’t where Joyce was hoping to be at this stage.
“Very frustrating,” Joyce said. “It’s tough. It’s heartbreaking not being out there with the guys and contributing. But yeah, just trying to figure it out.”
Joyce had a promising start to the season, building off his breakout year in 2024 with four straight scoreless outings. His most recent appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, however, was disastrous.
With the average velocity on his fastball at a career low of 99.3 mph, Joyce gave up three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. He was pulled after having thrown 16 pitches, with Rays batters making contact on half of those.
Joyce, whose fastball has reached as high as 105.5 mph, posted a 0.83 ERA over his final 28 appearances last year, with 32 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. He entered 2025 as the main setup reliever for newly acquired closer Kenley Jansen.
Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn has mainly filled Joyce’s role in the meantime, asserting himself as another reliable arm in the bullpen with a 1.14 WHIP and 4.66 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season. He hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of his outings.
“A lot of guys, young kids down there, they have no reason in those leverage spots. But sometimes, the game dictates the way it goes,” manager Ron Washington said of the state of the Angels’ bullpen in Joyce’s absence. “… Somebody's going to have to pick it up. And we can’t come up with excuses. They’re on this roster, and they got to do the job. And I know sometimes it's a job that they've never done before, or they might feel the pressure of being in that situation, but we’ve got no other way to handle it.
“We got nothing else, so they're going to have to figure it out.”
And while Joyce is still figuring out his road back to the mound, he’ll at least get to enjoy his bobblehead night at the Big A with his family in attendance.
“I never had a bobblehead before,” Joyce said. “It looks good. My parents will be here, so they’re excited. They’re more excited about it than I am. It’s pretty cool.”