Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Detmers will open the 2025 season in the bullpen, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers had been competing against Jack Kochanowicz for the final spot in the Angels' rotation. With Kochanowicz winning the job, Detmers will work out of the Halos' bullpen and could be used as a long reliever, per Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune. Detmers worked in relief in each of his last three spring outings and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and two walks while striking out 13 across 11.2 frames.

Detmers pitched four innings in a Cactus League contest against the Padres on Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks while striking out four batters.

EDGE Analysis

Kyle Hendricks began the game with five frames for the Angels, and Detmers followed by pitching the remaining four innings. Detmers did well despite giving up two runs, as he didn't issue any free passes and fanned four batters. The lefty is locked into a competition with Jack Kochanowicz for the final spot in the Angels' rotation, and both pitchers have made a strong case this spring -- Detmers has posted a 2.30 ERA and 12:2 K:BB over 13.2 innings while Kochanowicz has a 2.92 ERA and 7:4 K:BB across 12.1 frames. Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune reports that the Angels are considering using whichever of the two pitchers doesn't get the rotation spot as a long reliever, though it's not clear if the team is leaning toward Detmers to come out of the bullpen since he's worked in relief in three out of his five Cactus League appearances while Kochanowicz has started in all four of his outings.

Detmers entered in the sixth inning of Monday's Cactus League contest against Colorado and tossed four scoreless frames, allowing four hits and striking out four batters.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers has been battling Jack Kochanowicz for the Angels' fifth-starter role this spring, but it's unclear if Detmers' appearance in relief Monday -- the first time he has come out of the bullpen this spring -- in an indication that Kochanowicz has won the job. Regardless, Detmers made a strong case to be on the Opening Day pitching staff in some capacity with his performance against the Reds, during which he limited Cincinnati to four harmless hits -- all singles -- across four innings. The left-hander lowered his spring ERA to 2.31 with the outing, and he now has an 8:2 K:BB over 11.2 frames, though Kochanowicz has arguably been better with a 1.00 ERA and 6:1 K:BB over nine innings.

Detmers tossed 2.2 innings in a Cactus League contest against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out one batter.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers set the side down in order in the first inning, then allowed a run on a double, single and groundout in the second. He retired the only two batters he faced in the third before his day came to an end. Detmers and Jack Kochanowicz are battling for the Angels' fifth-starter role to begin the campaign, and both have been effective in exhibition play thus far. Detmers has a 3.52 ERA and 4:2 K:BB over 7.2 frames across three outings, while Kochanowicz has a 1.80 ERA and 4:1 K:BB over five innings covering two appearances.

Detmers pitched three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against the White Sox on Friday, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two batters.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers' second spring outing got off to a shaky start, as he allowed two of the first four White Sox batters to reach base. However, the southpaw rebounded thereafter, retiring seven of the final eight hitters he faced. It was a promising performance by Detmers as he seeks to win the Angels' No. 5 starter job. Jack Kochanowicz, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday due to an illness, is likely Detmers' top competition for the role.

Detmers is one of several pitchers who will likely be competing for the Angels' fifth-starter role during spring training, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers began 2024 in the Angels' rotation and was sizzling out of the gates with a 3-0 record, 1.19 ERA and 30:7 K:BB over 22.2 innings across his first four starts. The southpaw faded dramatically from there, however, finishing the campaign with an ugly 6.70 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 87.1 frames while spending much of the season in the minors. There's little doubt that Detmers has impressive stuff -- among other things, he has a no-hitter to his name and a career 25 percent strikeout rate -- but he's yet to put it all together to cement himself as a consistent big-league pitcher. Detmers will have every chance during spring training to show that he belongs in Los Angeles' rotation, but Bollinger considers Jack Kochanowicz the early favorite to secure the team's fifth-starter spot to open the campaign.

Detmers agreed to a one-year, $1.825 million contract with the Angels on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander spent much of 2024 in the minors and finished with a 6.70 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 109:38 K:BB in 17 starts with the Angels. Detmers may need a strong showing during spring training in order to break camp with the big-league club in 2025.

Detmers (4-9) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on eight hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk over five innings as the Angels fell 5-2 to the Rangers. He struck out 12.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw displayed both the good and bad sides of his profile, generating 32 called or swinging strikes among his 95 pitches but serving up back-to-back homers to Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia in the first inning, before Carson Kelly tagged him for another long ball in the fourth. Over five September starts, Detmers posted a brutal 8.14 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 3.0 HR/9 despite a superficially impressive 39:11 K:BB through 24.1 innings. The 25-year-old still has four years of team control and is only heading into his first year of arbitration eligibility this winter, however, so it's unlikely the Angels will give up on his upside quite yet.

Detmers (4-8) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out three batters over two-plus innings.

EDGE Analysis

Detmers gave up a run in the first frame and two more in the second, and things got really out of hand for him in the third. He allowed all four batters he faced in that inning to reach base -- on a home run, two doubles and a single -- and was charged with four runs. It was another implosion for Detmers, who gave up seven runs over 5.1 frames against the White Sox in his previous start. The pair of awful outings come after he appeared to turn a corner upon his return from the minors Sept. 3 -- in his first two starts following the promotion, he yielded just four runs while notching an 18:4 K:BB across 12 innings.

Detmers (4-7) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.1 innings to take the loss Monday versus the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn went back-to-back in the first inning, and Detmers continued to struggle after that. The White Sox got to him for three runs in the second and light-hitting Lenyn Sosa added a solo shot in the third. Given the quality of the opponent, this was a large step back for Detmers, who had posted quality starts in his first two outings back in the majors. He's at a 6.05 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 94:34 K:BB through 80.1 innings over 15 starts. With Caden Dana sent down Monday, the Angels are likely to go with a five-man rotation over the final two weeks of the season. Detmers' next outing is projected to be in Houston.