ANAHEIM — Perhaps the Angels decided to call up right-hander Caden Dana to the major leagues so quickly to make sure that a golf career did not also become an option for the 20-year-old.
Dana was in the Angels’ clubhouse on Friday in advance of his much-anticipated major league debut Sunday and explained just how a satisfying round of golf Friday morning led to tears by mid-afternoon.
Dana was just finishing 18 holes on the Highlands Course at Hampton Cove in Huntsville, Alabama, when he received a phone call from Double-A Rocket City manager Andy Schatzley asking how soon he could be at the ballpark.
The 30-minute drive – an eternity by Huntsville standards – was filled with thoughts about why there was so much urgency. At the risk of setting himself up for disappointment, Dana settled on a call up to the Angels as the likely and most desired scenario.
“Obviously, the tone of his voice, I knew it was something serious,” Dana said. “So I got there and he called me in his office with (assistant pitching coach) Doug Henry and (pitching coach) Michael Wuertz. He (told me) and everything shut down in my body and my brain turned off. I was like, ‘I don’t know what just happened. That’s crazy.’”
Despite his Double-A status, the possibility was not completely out of the question. Dana, an 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., was 9-7 with a 2.52 ERA in 23 starts (135⅔ innings) for Rocket City this season.
Upon receiving the news, the first call Dana made was to his mother.
“I honestly didn’t have too (many) emotions; it was more just shock right away,” Dana said. “I call my mom. She starts balling. I start balling. I’m like, ‘There it is.’”
That morning round of golf? It was like it never existed.
“I actually shot a 79 that day and I completely forgot about it,” Dana said. “It was just like, flip the switch.”
A single-digit handicap, Dana declined to be any more specific. Nobody wants to be fleeced for strokes by playing partners in the future. It’s a subtle reflection on Dana’s ability to be in the present, while keeping an eye on what today can do for him tomorrow.
Even during spring training, Angels manager Ron Washington suggested Dana could be in the major leagues sooner than most pitching prospects, based on his ability, his mental acumen and the club’s willingness to move talent quickly through the system.
“If you’re able to get outs, that’s what matters,” Washington said in early March.
Washington said it after Dana made his first start of the spring and just his second appearance.
“Well you knew how good this kid could be, he just needed to pitch,” Washington said Friday. “And I think they did a tremendous job of leaving down there and letting him get some innings. On Sunday, we’ll see how mature that made him.”
Dana got settled in Friday by getting in full uniform for a team photo shoot and going through a workout. He was excited to watch a different major league debut Friday night with his Rocket City teammate Sam Aldegheri making his own start for the Angels.
While Aldegheri arrived in Orange County on Thursday for a quick turnaround into a start a day later against the Seattle Mariners, Dana will essentially scout the golf course for two days then make the walk to the first tee on Sunday afternoon.
“Sam’s going in raw, but I’m sure he’s gonna do great,” Dana said. “But yeah, I’m glad I’m here a couple days earlier to see the environment, be a part of it and obviously, (and) know what I’m coming into on Sunday.”
Right-hander Carson Fulmer, who was originally set to start Friday, went on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and was set to undergo further imaging tests. Fulmer is 0-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 32 appearances (eight starts). … In order to open spots on the 40-man roster for Aldegheri and Dana, right-hander Johnny Cueto was designated for assignment and right-hander Jose Marte (viral infection) was moved to the 60-day injured list, officially ending his season. In two starts with the Angels, the 38-year-old Cueto was 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA.
Mariners (Bryan Woo, 6-2, 2.05 ERA) at Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson, 10-12, 3.41 ERA), Saturday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
