DETROIT — Jack Kochanowicz is testing the Angels’ patience.
Kochanowicz gave up seven runs in the Angels’ 9-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, ballooning his ERA to 6.19 and raising the question of whether the right-hander needs more time in the minors.
When asked after the game if there will be a conversation about Kochanowicz’s continued spot in the rotation, interim manager Ray Montgomery conceded the obvious.
“I’m sure we’ll talk about it,” Montgomery said. “We’ll see. Everything’s on the table.”
Kochanowicz, 24, seemed to be one of the Angels’ most promising young starters after his performance in the final two months of last season. This year, though, he’s only showed brief glimpses of his potential.
Except for a one-start visit to Triple-A last month, the Angels have kept Kochanowicz in the rotation all season. They believe he’s talented and could be a part of their future.
Clearly, the future isn’t here yet.
In the first inning, Kochanowicz gave up a check-swing double on a dribbler that got past third baseman Luis Rengifo, who was shifted up the middle. After that, Kochanowicz gave up three straight hits, all with exit velocities over 100 mph, to knock in two runs.
“That’s where it was really frustrating today, because I felt really, really good at first,” Kochanowicz said. “I was getting the swings I wanted on those balls, and just got really unlucky. It’s definitely my job to get out of those situations. And I didn’t do that today. But I felt great going into it, felt great coming out in first. It just trickled away.”
The Tigers got another run in the second, before Kochanowicz pitched a scoreless third.
Any hope of him finishing strong — as he did when he gave up one run in his final five innings of his last start — vanished quickly in the fourth.
The inning began with second baseman Christian Moore making an error on a bouncer up the middle. Kochanowicz then gave up three straight hits, including Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer.
That ended the day for Kochanowicz, who gave up nine hits and two walks in three-plus innings.
“In the moment, it’s very frustrating,” Kochanowicz said. “Like out there in the dugout it definitely builds up, and you kind of let yourself get a little negative. But I know myself. I know my stuff. I’m healthy. There’s a lot of positives to take from today. There’s only one way to go, and that’s up. So just have to stick to it that way.”
Kochanowicz had a 6.03 ERA when the Angels sent him down just before the All-Star break. He made only one start at Triple-A and then returned. One of his three starts since then has been good — although he didn’t even finish five innings in that one — and he’s allowed at least six runs in each of the last two.
At least part of the reason that the Angels (56-62) brought Kochanowicz back to the majors so quickly was that there was no other obvious choice to join the rotation in his place. In the past few weeks, though, two pitchers have continued hot streaks in the minors.
Right-hander Victor Mederos has a 3.39 ERA at Triple-A, in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has a 1.73 ERA in his last five starts.
Left-hander Sam Aldegheri has a 3.91 ERA at Double-A, including a 1.74 ERA in his last five starts.
Both pitchers are already on the 40-man roster.
Another option could be to have Carson Fulmer start. The right-hander has a 3.18 ERA working in long relief, including five innings after Kochanowicz on Sunday.
In the meantime, one of the concerns is that Kochanowicz has his confidence damaged by continued poor performance in the majors.
“It’s a real thing,” Montgomery said. “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that he’s doing everything he can to find success, and he hasn’t been able to get to where he wants to be. So yeah, that’ll mess with your confidence. But long-term, no, I’m not worried about him. I’d rather him have more success than less.”
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