Kirby Yates: Everything you need to know

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Friday that Yates (knee) is expected to pitch for High-A Rancho Cucamonga soon, per MLB.com. It's not clear exactly how soon Yates will kick off the rehab stint, but it's the logical next step given that he's recently been throwing to hitters. The veteran reliever may not need an extensive assignment since he's not dealing with an arm issue and was able to appear in four games during spring training. Yates could be headed for a high-leverage role in the big-league bullpen once he's activated, though Jordan Romano has gone 4-for-4 in save chances while pitching five scoreless frames and likely has a strong hold on the closer role for the time being.

Yates (knee) threw 26 pitches to hitters Tuesday and could next begin a minor-league rehab stint, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports. Yates said his body "felt good" during the session but acknowledged that his legs aren't quite up to speed yet. "The hard part is, I didn't get a chance to do anything with my legs for 12-13 days. So we're trying to play catch-up with that. The legs aren't as fresh as I'd probably like them to be. But, overall, I think it was good," Yates said after throwing. Manager Kurt Suzuki echoed that sentiment, saying, "I thought he looked fine. Obviously, first time in a while throwing to hitters, so it's going to take time. Build his stamina, his legs back up, get his legs under him again... But hopefully we'll see him sooner than later." Yates said he's hoping his next step will be a rehab assignment with a minor-league squad but stated that he's going to talk that over with coaches and trainers Wednesday.

Yates (knee) is scheduled to face hitters Tuesday as he works through mechanical adjustments ahead of his return, Doug Padilla of The Orange County Register reports. "I think it's more of a feeling for me, knowing how the ball is supposed to come out of my hand," Yates said. "I don't think we're a crazy way away (from a return), or anything like that. It's just how quickly you can get to where you're comfortable going back out there and getting big outs for your team." It sounds like Yates and the Angels will have a better idea how close he is after Tuesday's session. In Yates' absence, Jordan Romano has excelled as the closer while Chase Silseth has been strong in a setup role for the Angels.