Angels call up Salt Lake reliever Samy Natera Jr. after dominant start

The Angels did not wait for Samy Natera Jr. to cool off. They selected the Salt Lake left-hander’s contract Friday, June 6, and cleared space by designating right-hander Shaun Anderson for assignment, making the move about immediate bullpen need as much as long-term promise.

Natera earned the first major league opportunity of his career by overpowering Triple-A hitters all spring. He went 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 20 appearances for the Bees, and his 44 strikeouts led all Pacific Coast League relievers. In 30 Triple-A innings, he posted a 44:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.33 WHIP, the kind of strikeout-heavy profile that can change how a game feels the moment he gets loose in the bullpen.

His best stretch came in May, when Natera went 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA over 15.1 innings, struck out 24 and walked only five. He opened the month with five straight scoreless outings across 9.2 innings, then kept climbing with leverage work that fit the shape of a major league relief option. On June 2 against Albuquerque, he struck out five over two innings for his first Triple-A save, helping Salt Lake win 7-4 and giving him his first save since Aug. 24 of the previous season with Rocket City. Earlier in the year, he picked up his first Triple-A win against Sacramento.

For Salt Lake, the promotion underlined how valuable the Bees’ bullpen has become as a development pipeline. Natera was the second Bees pitcher to receive a major league debut call this season, joining George Klassen, a sign that the Angels have found real traction in turning Triple-A relief success into roster help in Anaheim.

Natera’s path makes the call-up more striking. The Angels drafted him in the 17th round in 2022, 508th overall, out of New Mexico State University, after a left-shoulder injury complicated his early trajectory. MLB.com described him in 2024 as a late bloomer, and the label fits a pitcher who has steadily sharpened his command and missed bats rather than simply rising on pedigree. Born Nov. 5, 1999, in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, he also carried that background onto the international stage as part of Mexico’s 2026 World Baseball Classic roster.

That combination of strikeouts, improved control and left-handed leverage value is why the Angels acted now. If Natera handles major league hitters the way he handled Triple-A lineups, this can be more than a short-term patch. It can become the start of a real role in Anaheim.