SAN DIEGO — Reid Detmers has been playing catch in the outfield with all the other pitchers during pregame warmups for a few days.
Which is certainly a welcome change from hurling a baseball into a mattress propped against the wall in his hotel room.
“I didn’t break anything,” Detmers said. “Came close, but didn’t break anything.”
The Angels left-hander was one of three pitchers who was placed on the COVID-related injured list during the team’s recent East Coast road trip. José Marte, Austin Warren and Detmers each had to remain quarantined in a hotel room for 10 days.
Detmers and Warren were stuck in Baltimore.
Aside from throwing into his mattress, Detmers said he watched MLB Network and Netflix and ordered all his meals from room service or other delivery services.
The good news was that he said he never felt sick at all.
“I didn’t have symptoms at all, so the last thing I expected was to test positive,” Detmers said.
The question now is when he’ll be able to pitch again. Obviously, the work he was able to do in his room was not much of a substitute for what he’d have normally done.
Detmers is now playing catch out to 120 feet, and he said he expects to throw a bullpen session within a week or two. With only four weeks to go in the season, it will be a challenge for Detmers to make up enough ground to pitch again.
“I’ll definitely be back this year,” he said. “I don’t know when. That is yet to be determined. It all just depends on how I feel. I’m just trying to feel things out for now.”
The Angels’ top pitching prospect has made four starts, posting a 7.11 ERA. He gave up one run in six innings against the Houston Astros on Aug. 15, but each of the other three outings has included one or two bad innings that spoiled his work.
Detmers said it’s not vital that he returns before the offseason.
“We aren’t trying to rush anything, obviously,” he said. “I’d rather come back prepared and ready to go than rush it and risk getting injured. Obviously getting a couple starts under my belt before the season ends would be nice, but for now I’m taking it day by day.”
TROUT UPDATE
Mike Trout traveled with the Angels to San Diego to continue the rehab from a strained calf, but there is still no timetable for him to return.
Although time is running out for Trout to come back in 2021, Manager Joe Maddon said the three-time American League MVP isn’t ready to give up.
“He’s still trying to get back,” Maddon said. “We haven’t called off the jam yet. He’s still being Mike. He wants to play. And so we’ll just keep working through it.”
NOTES
Alex Cobb (wrist) is scheduled for a simulated game over the weekend in Houston. “After he gets through that, we’ll have a better idea (of his rehab timeline),” Maddon said. …
Dylan Bundy (shoulder) has been throwing, but is not progressing to the point where the Angels have a return timeline for him, Maddon said. …
The Angels will have a bullpen game on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Angels (TBD) at Padres (RHP Yu Darvish, 7-9, 4.05), Wednesday, 5:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM