The Angels have designated reliever Cody Allen for assignment, per a team announcement on Saturday. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Taylor Cole has been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake.
It’s a tough break for Allen, who inked a one-year deal with the Angels over the offseason and appeared to have a firm grip on the closer spot for the first month and a half of the season. After a handful of inconsistent performances, hampered in no small part by the Angels’ string of losses in mid-May and early June, it appears the club is ready to take things in a different direction.
Allen, for his part, isn’t ready to give up just yet:
However, the 30-year-old righty didn’t help his case on Friday, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks when he was brought in to relieve Ty Buttrey in the seventh inning of a 9-4 loss to the Rays. So far this year, he’s recorded four saves in four chances and posted a 6.26 ERA, 7.8 BB/9, and 11.3 SO/9 through 23 innings of relief. Part of his struggles may also be attributed to a stint on the 10-day injured list, where he was laid up with a lumbar spine strain.
