The Los Angeles Angels’ Single-A affiliate announced reliever Ben Joyce will begin his rehab assignment with them Wednesday.
The Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes announced the news via X.
Ben Joyce will join the Quakes for a rehab assignment. Grab your tickets now🎟️ You won’t want to miss it! pic.twitter.com/J1AjJKjK8y
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) April 29, 2026
Joyce has been on the injured list since early in 2025, when his right shoulder flared up in April. He had previously dealt with shoulder issues, spending the end of 2024 on the injured list, but this instance was far more serious.
The flamethrowing right-hander underwent a procedure on his shoulder last season, knocking him out for just about all of the 2025 campaign. Manager Kurt Suzuki spoke to the media about Joyce ahead of the Angels’ final game against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
“It’s awesome,” Suzuki said. “When they told me, I was pretty excited. Hearing what he’s been doing in Arizona, I’m like, ‘Man, this guy is ready to go out. I’m excited to see what he’s got on a rehab assignment, and go from there.”
Suzuki is right to be excited, as Joyce’s fastball—which sits in the triple digits—has been plenty effective in MLB during his career. Through his three years in MLB, Joyce has posted a 3.12 ERA through 48 games, and will surely be a calming presence in the pen.
The Angels’ bullpen clearly needs reinforcements at the moment as well, as their relievers have been among the worst in MLB this season. Their 5.71 ERA ranks second-worst in MLB, and they have already upended some of the work they did to reinforce their bullpen in the offseason.
Their experiment with Jordan Romano didn’t pay off and he’s currently a free agent, Drew Pomeranz is severely underperforming and Kirby Yates is still yet to appear for the team since signing. The rest of the bullpen has also underperformed, but the Angels’ new signings haven’t made matters much better.
Joyce’s return could provide a much-needed boost to the Angels’ relief core, and they’ll hope he can begin to turn their season around as they struggle through the league’s longest losing streak.
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