Angels promote Tim Leveque to interim pitching coach, name Wuertz interim bullpen coach

The Los Angeles Angels made a rapid, top-to-bottom change to their pitching instruction by promoting Tim Leveque to interim pitching coach and naming Wuertz as interim bullpen coach, following the team’s dismissal of Mike Maddux, Darryl Scott and Dom Chiti. The moves, announced by the club through MLB, report a short-term reset of how the Angels plan to manage pitchers across starts, bullpen sessions, and late-game leverage.

According to Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak, the organization’s decision to move on from the previous staff was rooted in approach and implementation, not simply results. Mozeliak said the coaches they dismissed did not use the technology available to them enough, and that the incoming group would rely more heavily on technology moving forward. The statement frames the transition as an operational shift, with tech supported by day-to-day coaching instead of occasional use.

In practice, interim designations typically mean the Angels are recalibrating responsibilities while keeping options open as the season continues. Leveque’s promotion places him at the center of a pitching department that must blend development and execution for pitchers at different stages of readiness and role. An interim pitching coach’s job is often to coordinate analysis, strategy, and pitcher-specific preparation, particularly when the club is also trying to define long-term identity in how it handles pitching performance.

Wuertz’s assignment as interim bullpen coach puts another focus point on a segment of the staff where in-game adjustments can be decisive. Bullpen coaching involves more than helping relievers get loose and following inning plans. It often includes pitch selection guidance, sequencing approaches, and the preparation routines that affect who is ready when and for which matchups. By elevating Wuertz into the bullpen role, the Angels appear to be emphasizing consistent use of the tools Mozeliak referenced, including how information is translated into decisions in real time.

The timing matters. With the Angels making multiple staff changes at once, the club is effectively compressing a learning curve. Pitchers and catchers will need to absorb new communication patterns and operational expectations, including how feedback is delivered and how data is incorporated into plan-setting for outings and bullpen work. In-season staffing changes can also affect the continuity of each pitcher’s process, particularly for those most dependent on a specific set of coaching cues.

For now, the clearest watch item is how quickly Leveque and Wuertz establish their pitching philosophy across the organization’s major league staff. Mozeliak’s emphasis on technology suggests the club will prioritize measurable consistency: preparation standards, how pitching plans are built and adjusted, and the degree to which pitchers trust the process when mechanics, pitch design, and scouting inputs are brought together. The Angels’ near-term performance will not be a simple referendum on coaching alone, but it will offer early evidence of whether the technology-focused framework is taking hold in pitching rooms and bullpens.