Though Rodriguez was pulled before the end of the fifth frame, he took on a hefty workload of 94 pitches. The righty's pitch count was up that high in part because opposing batters had a hard time putting the ball in play, as 11 of the 14 outs Rodriguez recorded were by strikeout. The veteran hurler did hit a batter, uncork a wild pitch and issue two walks, but he was mostly sharp, throwing 63 strikes to 31 balls. Given his strong outing and his ability to approach 100 pitches, Rodriguez may not need many more rehab appearances before he's ready to join the Angels' big-league rotation.

The hard-throwing righty has had uneven results through his first four outings for Rancho Cucamonga, striking out five batters and surrendering just three hits over four innings but yielding two runs (one earned) while issuing three walks and hitting two batters. Joyce is working his way back from labral repair surgery performed last May and may need close to the entirety of his 30-day rehab window before being activated from the 15-day injured list. Once he's reinstated, Joyce should step into a high-leverage role in an Angels bullpen that remains unsettled at the back end.

After making significant progress in his recovery from a left wrist fracture over the past few days, O'Hoppe is now set to begin testing his wrist in a competitive setting. The Angels haven't specified how long the 26-year-old's assignment will last, but the expectation is still to have him back in the lineup by mid-to-late May.

This was Johnson's second rehab appearance; in his first, he tossed 3.1 scoreless frames for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said after Friday's outing the right-handed hurler "felt great" while mentioning that the team will "talk about" Johnson's next steps, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Johnson made one start with the big-league club prior to landing on the IL, and he could move back into the rotation once healthy, especially now that Yusei Kikuchi is facing an extended absence due to a shoulder injury.

D'Arnaud had to leave Wednesday's game versus the White Sox with the injury, though it's unclear if it might have been bothering him previously. He joins Logan O'Hoppe (wrist) on the IL, leaving the Angels with Sebastian Rivero and Omar Martinez as their top two catchers.

Stephenson was placed on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day due to right elbow inflammation, an issue that cropped up during spring training. He had initially been eased into workouts during camp after he had experienced symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome over the winter. While Stephenson was able to avoid another UCL reconstruction surgery after previously requiring the procedure in May 2024, the 33-year-old right-hander is nonetheless on track to miss his second full season since signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Angels following the 2023 campaign. The contract includes a $2.5 million club option for 2027, so the Angels could still look to bring him back next season if they're satisfied with where he stands in the rehab process.

The fact that the 34-year-old southpaw doesn't seem to need surgery makes it more likely that he returns before the end of the season, but it could still be a while before he appears on a big-league mound. The Angels plan to build Kikuchi up as a starter once he's cleared to begin a throwing program, and they may have a better picture of his return timeline once he progresses to that point.

Rendon agreed to a buyout with the Angels in December and won't play this season. However, he will remain on the team's official roster and presumably spend the entire year on the 60-day IL.