Chase Silseth, an Angels pitching prospect, underwent elbow surgery earlier this month and will miss the remainder of the season. He did not have Tommy John surgery and is anticipated to return for the start of spring training in 2025.
Even though Silseth is coming off surgery before next season, Angels general manager Perry Minasian believes he can return to the pitching level that made him one of the Angels’ most promising recent prospects on the mound.
“We’ve seen him when he was healthy, and we know how effective he can be,” Minasian told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “I know Chase and how badly he wants to be excellent, and I know what he’ll do this offseason to get into the greatest form he can. We believe he will be a factor next spring, potentially starting and winning games for us.
Silseth’s injuries limited him this season. The 24-year-old made only two starts for the Angels before going on the injured list with elbow discomfort. Silseth was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 12 strikeouts during those two starts, allowing three earned runs in each game.
When he returned from the injured list in June, he was optioned to Triple-A. Silseth made seven starts for Triple-A Salt Lake and struggled, going 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA and 16 strikeouts. He was then shut down after his last start on July 28, prior to surgery.
Silseth, the first player from the 2021 MLB Draft class to make his debut, began pitching for the Angels in May 2022. Silseth was a rookie that year, going 1-3 with a 6.59 ERA with 12 strikeouts. He had several hopeful moments throughout the 2023 season, including a 3.21 ERA in his final seven games as a starter.
Silseth finished 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA overall, including a 2.96 ERA in Triple-A last season.
The Angels are still hunting for dependable pitchers in their rotation, as they have the fourth-worst ERA in the MLB. The organization has been looking for better pitching for years and remains optimistic that Silseth will be one of the answers next season.
