Angels dismiss pitching trio, shift to interim leadership on staff

The Los Angeles Angels have dismissed three coaches from their pitching staff, including veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, according to a report published Monday by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and reiterated by MLB Trade Rumors.

The moves represent a notable reset for a team that chose to address pitching instruction rather than limit the change to one role. Shortly after the initial report, the Angels announced the three dismissals and outlined interim replacements for the pitching staff functions, indicating that the organization intends to keep the baseball-development apparatus operating immediately rather than wait for a longer search process.

Under the Angels’ interim plan, Double-A pitching coach Tim Leveque is set to serve as interim pitching coach. In addition, assistant pitching coordinator Michael Wuertz will take over as interim bullpen coach. The structure points to an in-house solution, with roles filled by coaches who have been working within the Angels’ system and who can, at least in the short term, maintain continuity for pitchers moving between levels and routines during the season.

Front office leadership offered comment on the decision through interim GM John Mozeliak, though no direct quotations are included in the information available here. The framework of the announcement, as reported, makes clear the intent is to change the direction of pitching coaching while keeping core organizational responsibilities staffed and active.

Maddux, Scott and Chiti collectively represented multiple layers of the Angels’ pitching instruction, from day-to-day pitching mechanics and pitch-calling guidance to bullpen preparation and in-game relief execution. Bringing in interim replacements does not automatically mean a wholesale philosophical shift, but it does put immediate decision-making authority in new hands, particularly for bullpen usage and the development of late-inning pitchers.

For pitchers, the practical impact is that roles and expectations can tighten quickly when coaches change. Pitchers at all levels typically feel that in the form of adjusted workload management, different emphases in breaking-ball usage or fastball command routines, and revised bullpen drill structures. For the Angels, the timing of these changes also suggests the organization is treating pitching performance and development as an urgent need rather than a long-term project deferred to the offseason.