The Los Angeles Angels are poised to take on the Houston Astros in a heated AL West battle. But before the series has even begun, the Angels have made some major changes to their pitching staff.

Los Angeles has called up right-hander Cesar Valdez, the team announced. In turn, left-hander Jose Suarez has been placed on the 15-day injured list while fellow LHP Jose Quijada was moved to the 60-day IL.

Suarez was forced to leave his most recent start on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. It was revealed that Suarez is dealing with a shoulder strain that will keep him out for at least the next 15 days. The lefty had appeared in six games this season, pitching to a 1-2 record with a putrid 9.62 ERA and a 21/15 K/BB ratio.

Quijada is dealing with a much more long-term injury as he is scheduled to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. His move to the 60-day IL was a procedural one as Quijada won't pitch until the latter half of the 2024 season.

With their pitching injuries piling up, the Angels have turned to Valdez to help fill the hole. Valdez has appeared in one game for the Angels thus far this season, allowing an earned run over his one inning of work.

While it's still very early in the season, Los Angeles holds a 1.5 game advantage over Houston in the AL West. The Angels still trail the division-leading Rangers by two games. Still, even with all their pitching changes, the Angels will try to gain some AL West ground in their upcoming series vs. the Astros.