Plesac cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake.

EDGE Analysis

The Angels designated Plesac for assignment Monday, but the 29-year-old righty will remain with the organization after passing through waivers. He has turned in a 4.66 ERA and 1.41 WHIP through his first two Triple-A starts, but further improvement will likely be necessary before he gets another opportunity in the majors.

Plesac was designated for assignment by the Angels on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

After signing a one-year contract with the Angels in December, he was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on March 9. He started in two games with Salt Lake, giving up five runs on six hits and seven walks while striking out nine batters over 9.2 innings, and he took the loss in both contests.

The Angels optioned Plesac to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac struggled last season with a 7.59 ERA through 21.1 MLB innings and a 6.08 ERA across 19 Triple-A appearances (18 starts), and he got off to a similarly slow start this spring by allowing four earned runs in 6.1 frames. Until Plesac is able to find success in the minors, it's unlikely he gets the call to join the Halos' rotation in 2024.

Plesac spent time at Driveline in the offseason and has replaced his four-seam fastball with a two-seamer while transforming his slider into "more of a sweeper," Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac is trying to get his once-promising career back on track following an awful 2023 campaign during which he posted a 7.59 ERA and 1.97 WHIP over five big-league starts and a 6.08 ERA and 1.49 WHIP over 94.2 frames at Triple-A. The Angels signed the right-hander to a one-year contract in late December with the hope that he can regain the form that helped him record a much more useful 3.32 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 2019 and 2020 over his first 29 major-league starts. Plesac could insert himself into the conversation for a spot at the back of the team's rotation with a strong spring, though with Los Angeles moving back to a five-man starting staff and multiple arms vying for one of those spots, Plesac is more likely to begin the regular season in the bullpen or at Triple-A.

Plesac signed a contract with the Angels on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac showed some promise with the Guardians from 2019-20, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 145:46 K:BB over 171 innings covering 29 starts. He regressed to a 4.49 ERA from 2021-22, though, and bottomed out in 2023 in collecting a 7.59 ERA in five starts with Cleveland and 6.08 ERA at Triple-A Columbus. Plesac will turn 29 next month and would appear slated for long relief or perhaps a swingman role in Anaheim.

Plesac cleared waivers Sunday and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Despite Plesac's standing as a pitcher with parts of five seasons of MLB experience and solid ratios for his career (4.20 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 12.1 K-BB%), none of the majors' other 29 organizations were willing to assume the money remaining on his $2.95 million contract for 2023. The right-hander had already taken a slight step backward from a performance standpoint over the previous two seasons before nosediving even further in 2023, as he submitted a 7.59 ERA over his first five starts before Cleveland optioned him to the minors in May. Now off the 40-man roster entirely, Plesac will face an uphill battle to make it back to the big leagues unless the Guardians lose multiple starters to injury.

Cleveland designated Plesac for assignment Sunday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac was removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Triston McKenzie (shoulder), who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his season debut Sunday against Minnesota. Once a mainstay in the rotation for Cleveland, Plesac struggled with a 7.59 ERA in his five starts with the Guardians before he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus early in May. Because of his previous success in the majors, it wouldn't be a surprise if the right-hander drew interest from another organization via trade or a waiver claim, but he's a reclamation project at this stage of his career.

Plesac was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac had been one of the longest-tenured members of the Guardians' rotation but has lost his spot after posting a 7.59 ERA in five starts. Peyton Battenfield will start in Plesac's spot Friday against the Twins with Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee remaining in the rotation, as well.

Plesac won't make his scheduled turn through the rotation Friday against the Twins, as the Guardians have instead named Peyton Battenfield their starter for the series opener with Minnesota, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Guardians have yet to clarify what exactly the news means for Plesac moving forward, but at the very least, it's clear that his spot in the rotation is on thin ice. Through his first five starts of the season, Plesac has pitched to a 7.59 ERA and 1.97 WHIP in 21.1 innings, and while a .410 BABIP and 61.5 percent strand rate suggest that the right-hander has experienced some bad luck, he hasn't helped his cause by striking out a career-low 13.3 percent of the batters he's faced. Plesac has minor-league options remaining, so the Guardians could send him to Triple-A Columbus for a brief reset, or perhaps have him work as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. It's also conceivable that he may just be skipping the start to work out some potential mechanical issues, so Plesac could end up slotting back into the rotation the next time his turn comes up.

Plesac did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk over 3.1 innings against the Red Sox. He struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

Plesac got hit around again Saturday, giving up at least seven hits for the fourth time in five starts while being unable to make it through the fourth frame. Rafael Devers took him yard in the first, setting the tone for what would become a dreadful outing, with a three-run homer that plated Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida. Plesac ran into trouble again in the fourth, giving up a pair of doubles to Raimel Tapia and Enmanuel Valdez, who both ended up scoring on singles by Christian Arroyo and Connor Wong. Through 21.1 innings, Plesac owns a 7.59 ERA to go along with an abysmal 5.91 K/9 and remains a firm stay away in most formats.