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Angels rookie George Klassen has more control issues in loss to Reds

April 12, 2026

Angels pitcher George Klassen throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Angels pitcher George Klassen throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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CINCINNATI — It was quickly apparent that this wasn’t going to be George Klassen’s day.

The Angels’ rookie right-hander issued three first-inning walks on his way to allowing four quick runs in a 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Klassen gave up five runs in two-plus innings, eventually leaving the game with a fingernail issue, which he said began to bother him toward the end of the first.

“It was still pretty inexcusable results,” Klassen said. “Kind of put the bullpen in a tough spot. Just need to make adjustments for next time so I can help our offense and defense out.”

Klassen, 24, is one of the Angels’ top pitching prospects. Control, however, has been a problem in each of his two big-league starts. He has walked 10 in just 4⅔ innings.

His walks in the first were an issue, but so was a misplay by first baseman Nolan Schanuel. He couldn’t handle a soft spinning one-hopper that was ruled a hit. The big hit was Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run double down the right-field line.

Although it took Klassen 38 pitches to get out of the inning, the Angels sent him back for the second. He gave up a solo homer and issued another walk, but escaped without further damage.

After Klassen issued a leadoff walk in the third, head athletic trainer Mike Frostad came out to check on his finger, and Klassen was pulled.

Klassen said he’s had a similar fingernail issue before, and it resolves in a couple days. A more serious problem is his inability to find the strike zone in his first two starts.

“There’s still times where I’m working a little too fast, trying to be a bit too perfect,” Klassen said. “I just need to make adjustments in between starts and get out there again.”

This spot in the rotation will come up again on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Right-hander Ryan Johnson, who is out with an illness, is not eligible to come off the injured list until next Saturday.

Manager Kurt Suzuki said the Angels will wait to decide on who starts that game.

“We’ve got to kind of talk about it,” Suzuki said. “It’s pretty early. Kind of see how his finger feels and what our options are and stuff like that.”

The Angels could bring back right-hander Walbert Ureña, who gave up four runs in five innings in his last Triple-A start. They could also just go with a bullpen game, using Shaun Anderson or Mitch Farris for the bulk innings.

In the meantime, left-hander Brent Suter gave the Angels a chance to stay in the game by pitching 3⅔ scoreless innings on just 39 pitches. He has a 2.08 ERA this season, averaging more than two innings per relief appearance.

Ryan Zeferjahn then picked up six outs, keeping the Angels at a two-run deficit, before right-hander Chase Silseth entered and allowed two more runs to score on wild pitches.

Before the game got away in the eighth, the Angels (7-8) had plenty of chances.

Reds starter Brandon Williamson walked six and hit a batter in his four innings. The Angels scored only three runs, two on a Mike Trout double. That was their only hit in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They also hit into two double plays.

“We definitely got guys on base, got guys in scoring position and stuff and the pitcher executed pitches when he had to, made big pitches,” Suzuki said. “That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Suzuki wasn’t around to see the end of it because he was ejected for the first time in his two-week managerial career. Logan O’Hoppe had led off the eighth by apparently reaching first base on a third strike that got back to the screen. But plate umpire Adam Beck called O’Hoppe out for being inside the running lane along the first-base line. It’s not an automatic out, even if the runner is out of the lane. The umpire must rule that he interfered with the throw. In this case, the throw still got to first baseman Sal Stewart, but the umpire apparently determined that the throw had been altered, which allowed O’Hoppe to beat it.

Suzuki, who was already irritated because he believed Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson had waited too long to make an ABS challenge, came out to argue the call at first, and he got tossed.

“In my opinion, Logan was running straight to the bag,” Suzuki said. “Obviously, the umpires had a different opinion. In my experience, I’ve seen it happen a few times, unfortunately, and I’ve never seen a guy catch the ball and an interference get called. So that was the only issue I had with it. But like I said, it was a judgment call and the umpire saw it that way and that’s the way it goes.”

Angels rookie George Klassen has more control issues in loss to Reds Orange County Register

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Angels rookie George Klassen has more control issues in loss to Reds

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