Pitcher Kaleb Ort, whom the New York Yankees claimed off waivers from the Houston Astros on Jan. 9, is headed back to the American League West without ever wearing pinstripes.

More news: Yankees World Series Champion Dies

Ort was claimed off waivers Wednesday by the Los Angeles Angels, according to a team announcement. The Angels designated outfielder Wade Meckler for assignment in a corresponding 40-man roster move.

Ort, 33, is 5-7 with a 5.00 ERA in 118 games (two starts) in parts of five major league seasons with the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

Yankees Kaleb Ort

The Yankees DFA’d Ort when they claimed Michael Siani off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers last Friday.

In 2025, Ort was 2-2 with a 4.89 ERA in a career-high 49 games with the Astros. He struck out 49 batters in 46 innings and finished the season with a 1.348 WHIP.

More news: Blue Jays Lose Pitcher With 2.20 ERA to Angels in Free Agency

Ort becomes the second right-handed pitcher to join the Angels’ bullpen this week. Monday, they agreed to terms with former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Nick Sandlin on a minor league contract.

A native of Grand Rapids, Ort went undrafted out of college and was originally signed by the Yankees out of the independent Frontier League in 2017.

More news: Blue Jays Prospect Retires Immediately After First Season as Pitcher

After appearing in parts of four minor league seasons with the Yankees, reaching as high as Triple-A, Ort was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2020 Rule 5 draft.

Over the next three seasons, Ort went 2-4 with a 6.27 ERA in 47 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen. Control was always an issue, as evidenced by his 10 percent walk rate in Boston.

Ort bounced around the league — claimed off waivers by the Mariners, then the Marlins, then the Phillies, then traded to the Orioles — before he joined the Astros via waivers in May 2024.

In Houston, Ort immediately tamped down on the walks, allowing only four free passes in 24.2 innings in 2024. He also limited opponents to a .202 batting average — numbers the Angels hope he can re-capture in 2026.

More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.