Minor League Baseball

Los Angeles Angels Send No. 2 Prospect Back to Triple-A in Surprising Move

Caden Dana made his major league debut last season, leading some to believe he'd start the year with the Angels. However, they sent him back to the minor leagues on Saturday.
Brady Farkas|
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Caden Dana (36) on the mound in the first inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Feb. 27.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Caden Dana (36) on the mound in the first inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Feb. 27. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels optioned several players to Triple-A and minor league camp on Saturday, including No. 2 overall prospect Caden Dana.

Per the organization's PR department on social media:

The #Angels have optioned LHP Sam Aldegheri, OF Gustavo Campero, RHP Caden Dana, LHP Jack Dashwood and INF Niko Kavadas to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Additionally, RHP Connor Brogdon, RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks, RHP José Fermin, INF Cole Fontenelle, LHP Victor González, INF Denzer Guzman, INF Carter Kieboom, RHP George Klassen, LHP Samy Natera, OF Nelson Rada and C Sebastián Rivero have been reassigned to minor league camp.

Dana, 21, was an 11th-round pick of the Angels in 2022 and made his major league debut last year, going 1-2 with a 9.58 ERA in three starts. Though he was hit around in his first taste of the big leagues, some felt he was going to start the year in the majors, but that's not the case.

The Angels will apparently go with Yusei Kikuchi, Reid Detmers, Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks in the rotation, while the fifth spot will come down to a competition.

Dana went 9-7 last year at Double-A Rocket City, pitching to a 2.52 ERA in 23 starts.

The Halos are coming off a year in which they finished last in the American League West, but they are hoping that additions of Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Kenley Jansen help reverse their fortunes.

The regular season opens up on March 27 as the Angels take on the Chicago White Sox.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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