Injury-plagued Angels land Chacin from Braves

Looking to bolster their injury-ravaged rotation, the Los Angeles Angels acquired veteran right-hander Jhoulys Chacin from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league left-hander Adam McCreery, the club announced.

To accommodate Chacin on the 40-man roster, the Angels designated first baseman/left fielder Ji-Man Choi for assignment.

Chacin, 28, earned a spot in Atlanta's rotation this spring after signing a minor-league deal with the club in December and has mostly struggled for a rebuilding Braves team. Through his first five starts, Chacin managed a 5.40 ERA (75 ERA+) with a 1.39 WHIP while allowing four home runs in 26 2/3 innings (1.35 per nine).

A former fixture in the Colorado Rockies' rotation, Chacin tailed off dramatically in recent years - he owns an unimpressive 4.94 ERA (85 ERA+) over just 116 2/3 innings since the start of 2014 - but the Angels need all the help they can get. Garrett Richards, the club's de facto ace, is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, while left-hander Andrew Heaney is also dealing with a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. C.J. Wilson won't return from the disabled list until June, either, and Tyler Skaggs isn't even playing catch yet. The result? A patchwork rotation with a 4.67 ERA that ranks fifth-worst in the American League.

As such, even with their farm system in complete disarray, the Angels were willing to part with McCreery, a 6-foot-8 reliever, to acquire Chacin. Selected by Los Angeles in the 22nd round of the 2014 draft, McCreery managed a 2.41 ERA with a 35.4 percent strikeout rate over 16 appearances in the rookie-level Arizona League last summer, but has yet to pitch this season.