Kirby Yates’ career comes full circle with return to Angels

TEMPE, Ariz. — Maybe the Angels will get it right with Kirby Yates this time.

It’s easy to forget that Yates became a two-time All-Star closer only after the Angels designated him for assignment – twice – in 2017.

There was little reason for anyone to put much faith in Yates back then. He was a journeyman on his third big-league organization and he hadn’t yet fully demonstrated the splitter that became his signature pitch.

Now, the 38-year-old Yates is back with the Angels on a one-year, $5 million deal. He’s again looking to prove something, after a nightmarish injury-marred season with the Dodgers.

Although he hasn’t even faced a hitter yet, he’s confident in where he stands.

“My last three ’pens have been really good,” Yates said. “They’ve been kind of like me, kind of what I’m accustomed to. Just being back in command of the baseball, getting the baseball to go where I want, to do what I want. It was really, really hard last year. If you watched me pitch, you could tell I wasn’t very good. But we’ve addressed that, and I really like where I’m at.”

Last season, Yates posted a 2.95 ERA in his first 21 games, with 31 strikeouts and five walks in 18⅓ innings. In a May 17 outing – against the Angels, coincidentally – Yates gave up hits to the first three batters he faced, including a Logan O’Hoppe game-tying home run.

The next day, the Dodgers put him on the injured list with a right hamstring strain.

“I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty well,” Yates said. “It felt like I was doing the same things I’d kind of done the previous year. I was missing barrels, getting swing-and-misses and doing all that. The hammy issue happened and I just kind of never got right. I think I fell into a lot of mechanical issues and things like that that just kind of followed. One thing led to another.”

Yates pitched another 20 games after the injury, with a 5.96 ERA. He said he’s corrected the mechanical problems he developed when he was pitching “when I probably shouldn’t have.”

Now, the 38-year-old is back with Mike Maddux, the pitching coach he had in 2024 with the Texas Rangers. Yates had a 1.17 ERA with 33 saves that season.

“That’s kind of a good thing, just to have somebody that’s familiar, especially when I was kind of throwing the ball well with him,” Yates said.

Yates said Maddux has already identified some things with his delivery.

“I’ve already kind of been working on them,” Yates said. “I’m coming in here hitting the ground running and trying to improve every day.”

If Yates can be successful, it would bring his career full circle.

The Angels claimed Yates on waivers from New York Yankees in 2016. The next spring, he didn’t make the team, so the Angels designated him for assignment just before Opening Day. No one claimed him.

After pitching well for a couple weeks at Triple-A, Yates was called up to the majors. He gave up two homers in his first game, and the Angels DFA’d him again.

This time, he was claimed by the Padres.

“It’s the only time any team’s ever really gotten rid of me that I didn’t really understand,” Yates said.

Yates had been working to develop his splitter, and he said he “felt like he was onto something” when he was with the Angels. With the Padres, though, he was encouraged to throw the pitch more often.

“I don’t think the people that were in this building (the Angels) were a big fan of me trying to throw another pitch,” Yates said.

Yates had a 3.72 ERA over the rest of 2017 with the Padres, and he just got better from there. In 2019, he recorded 41 saves with a 1.19 ERA. He bounced around after that, rediscovering himself again under Maddux in Texas.

“To be sitting here nine years later and have the career that I’ve had since then, I didn’t know what to expect,” Yates said. “I didn’t expect this. I expected to pitch pretty well.”

Yates is now competing for a job as the Angels’ closer, with right-hander Jordan Romano as the most likely alternative among pitchers who are healthy. Right-handers Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson each could work the ninth, but each is starting camp slightly behind because of injury.

Manager Kurt Suzuki said it’s an open competition this spring.

“Obviously, you know, guys that have done it before, spring training is spring training for them,” Suzuki said. “They’re ramping up. But at the same time, as we always say, performance matters. It doesn’t matter if you’re pitching in spring training or in the playoffs. Spring training matters and, and these guys understand that. They’re competitors. They want to come out and do well. So we’ll definitely take a look at it and, and see what gives us the best options, obviously with matchups and things like that, too.”

TAYLOR ARRIVES

Utilityman Chris Taylor arrived in Angels camp Friday, a day after agreeing to a minor-league deal.

Taylor, who had not been in spring training on a minor-league deal since becoming an established major leaguer, acknowledged the challenge he faces.

“I gotta make the team,” Taylor said. “Last year, I had the same mindset with the Dodgers. There wasn’t a guaranteed spot for me. It doesn’t really change my focus. I’ve always just kind of been in control of what I can control and prepare myself, so I don’t know if anything’s gonna change with me. But it’s definitely a different circumstance.”

Taylor, 35, can play second base and center field, the positions that are most uncertain with the Angels. He finished last season with the Angels, after the Dodgers let him go, and he hit just .179. He broke his hand two separate times.

“Obviously when I was on the field, I feel like I could have been better,” Taylor said. “I didn’t perform the way I expected to perform. The two broken hands is kind of a freak thing. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do about that, but just obviously trying to prepare my body, get everything right, and then hopefully when I’m out there I take advantage of my opportunity.”

NOTES

Left-hander Sammy Natera Jr. reported to camp Friday. Natera missed the first two workouts because of visa problems coming from Mexico. …

Right-hander Caden Dana is still out with an illness. …

Joyce said he’s scheduled to throw off the front slope of the mound for the second time Saturday. Joyce is slightly behind the other pitchers because of rehab from shoulder surgery.