Nick Sandlin was on his way to an outstanding 2025 season — and, possibly, his first appearance in the World Series — when an elbow injury got in the way.
A right-handed reliever, Sandlin had a 2.20 ERA through his first 19 appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays when he was placed on the 15-day injured list last July with inflammation. On Sept. 1, while the Blue Jays were gearing up for a deep postseason run, Sandlin was transferred to the 60-day injured list, effectively ending his season.
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Days after the Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sandlin became a free agent. Monday, he agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group.
Fletcher reports that Sandlin will be invited to the Angels’ spring training camp as he looks to extend his major league career to six seasons.
Sandlin, 29, is 19-10 with a 3.19 ERA in 228 games for the Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians in an MLB career that began in 2021.
Sandlin was originally selected in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft by Cleveland out of the University of Southern Mississippi. He pitched only 49 games in the minor leagues, losing the entire 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, before his debut in May 2021.
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What Sandlin lacks in velocity, he makes up for with a unique arm angle and a slider that generated a remarkable 50 percent whiff rate and .182 batting average in 2025.
Health emerged as a question mark last year; Sandlin also missed time early in the season with a right lat strain after the Blue Jays acquired him and infielder Andres Gimenez for Spencer Horwitz and outfielder Nick Mitchell.
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In Cleveland, however, Sandlin was a durable member of the Guardians’ outstanding bullpen. He made 68 appearances in 2024, going 8-0 with a 3.75 ERA, after making 61 major league appearances in 2023.
With the Angels, he’ll have a chance to compete for high-leverage innings after incumbent closer Kenley Jansen signed with the Detroit Tigers.
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