Nick Adenhart didn’t have long to enjoy his first major league victory. He was just happy to get it before he was sent down to the minors to make way for John Lackey’s return to the Los Angeles Angels’ rotation.
After pitching the Angels to a 10-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, Adenhart was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and Jose Arredondo was recalled from the team’s Pacific Coast League club to give manager Mike Scioscia an extra arm in the bullpen before he gives the ball to Lackey for his first start of the season Wednesday night.
Lackey, who won 18 games last season for the defending AL West champions, has been sidelined since March 21 with a strained right triceps.
“My role was to come up for a few starts and do what I could to help this team win,” Adenhart said. “It was kind of a long week or so after a rough start but I made strides in the right direction. It was a little bit of a burden to not have that first W, but now I’ve got it out of the way and I can kind of move on. It feels good.”
Adenhart (1-0) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings, walking three and striking out one. It was the third start for the 21-year-old right-hander, who has given up 12 earned runs, 18 hits and 13 walks over 12 innings.
