ANAHEIM ― The Angels’ sixth-starter door revolved for the first time on Friday, and one young Venezuelan left-hander with a passion for breaking balls took the place of another. Jhonathan Diaz, 25, took the mound at Angel Stadium while 24-year-old Jose Suarez was pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Diaz, who was officially recalled earlier in the day, made his 2022 debut against the Washington Nationals.

Suarez was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday after going 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in four starts.

The Angels waited until Friday afternoon to announce their starters for all three of their weekend games against Washington. Michael Lorenzen will start Saturday, and Patrick Sandoval will pitch Sunday, Manager Joe Maddon said.

Diaz labored through 1⅔ innings against the Oakland A’s in his major league debut last September, one of three regular-season appearances (two starts) he made with the Angels. He walked seven batters in 13 innings, a rate that improved somewhat (10 walks in 23 innings) at Triple-A this season. Diaz had a 2-0 record and 1.96 ERA in four starts with Salt Lake.

Might the Angels give him a longer runway this time around, especially after his five scoreless innings on Friday?

“It’s always a chance when a guy comes up, there’s different things we can do,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “When a kid comes up like that and there’s a crack in the window, in the door, it could happen. Go put your best foot out there and force us to do something. I always want players to do that.”

Utility player Jose Rojas was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Diaz on the active roster. The Anaheim native went 3 for 23 (.130) in his first call-up of the season.

RENDON REFLECTS

Third baseman Anthony Rendon had a chance to visit with his former teammates in person for the first time since he left Washington to sign a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels in Dec. 2019 – two months after leading the Nationals to their first-ever championship.

It’s been a strange ride. Rendon, 31, has only played 134 games with the Angels due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s assumed a very different role in the clubhouse than the one he held in Washington.

“I need to help teach this organization, help teach these guys how to win games,” Rendon said of the Angels. “How do we get there? I’ve been fortunate enough to be on that team when we were in the playoffs almost every year, or maybe every other year. We had a lot of older guys. We were the oldest team in 2019. I just shut up and watched them the whole time.

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“Now if I’m one of those older guys – which I unfortunately am now – that’s my job. That’s my duty, to teach these guys. ’Cause I’m not going to be here forever. So when I leave, hopefully that’s going to stick in their minds. That’s what’s going to matter most, not what I do on the field.”

ALSO

Sam Bachman, the Angels’ first-round draft pick in 2021, pitched three scoreless innings in his first game of the season with Double-A Rocket City. Bachman allowed one hit, one walk and struck out one against Chattanooga. It was his 2022 debut. … Suarez allowed two runs, both earned, in five innings for the Bees, walking four batters and striking out five. … Former Cal State Fullerton standout Chad Wallach is on the Angels’ taxi squad for this series. The Angels claimed the 30-year-old catcher off waivers from the Dodgers in Aug. 2021. He held a .250 batting average with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 20 Triple-A games this season.

UP NEXT

Washington (RHP Josiah Gray, 3-2, 3.12 ERA) at Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval, 3-1, 3.04 ERA), Saturday, 6 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM