Angels place José Soriano on 15-day IL, reinstate José Cisnero

The Angels have reinstated the right-hander Jose Cisnero from the 60-day injured list, the team announced. He will join his right-handed teammates Jose Sorianoplace on the active roster while Soriano goes on the 15-day IL due to right arm fatigue. To make room for Cisnero on the 40-man roster, the Angels traded Luis Rengifo on the 60-day IL. Rengifo underwent season-ending wrist surgery earlier this month.

Cisnero, 35, signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with Los Angeles in the offseason. Unfortunately, his time with the Angels got off to a rocky start, as he allowed three earned runs in 2/3 of an inning on Opening Day. He posted a 7.07 ERA in 14 appearances in the first month of the season. He then landed on the IL in late April with inflammation in his throwing shoulder and has been out of action since. Despite his poor start, however, the veteran has a track record as a reliable middle reliever. From 2019-2023, he made 222 appearances for the Tigers, posting a 3.84 ERA and a 4.16 SIERA, so the Angels hope he can provide some stability in the bullpen upon his return. While LA ranks fifth in MLB with a 2.69 bullpen ERA since the trade deadline, the underlying metrics (4.40 SIERA, 4.57 xFIP) suggest that it most likely won’t stay that way. The Angels’ relievers have a 4.13 ERA and a 4.25 SIERA this season, and that includes the innings Carlos Estévez and Luis García pitched before their trades.

Unfortunately for the Angels, Cisneros’ return comes just as another pitcher is heading to the IL. Soriano, 25, has been a standout for LA this year. Since being added to the rotation on April 10, he has a 3.36 ERA and a 3.98 SIERA in 20 starts. During that time, he leads Angels starters in ERA, SIERA and FanGraphs WAR.

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