Angels recall Sam Bachman from Triple-A and place Robert Stephenson on the 15-day injured list, intensifying a bullpen crisis with eight games left in the season. Bachman has spent time between MLB and Salt Lake this year, returning as the Angels shuffle arms. Stephenson’s latest IL stint ends his 2025 page, leaving the Angels short-handed as they chase critical outs down the stretch.

Victor Mederos, Jose Soriano and Zach Neto are also sidelined, amplifying depth concerns for a pen already without several veterans. With Perry Minasian and Ray Montgomery steering roster decisions, the club weighs 2026 implications while Yusei Kikuchi weighs management decisions that could affect late-season usage and fantasy outlooks.

The series against Colorado and the ongoing injuries force a pivot to younger options and stress the depth chart, testing the longer-term plan as the season winds down.