Angels reliever Scott Downs to return Saturday

SEATTLE — Angels reliever Scott Downs was en route from his Kentucky home to Seattle on Friday night and will be activated for Saturday’s game against the Mariners, Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Downs was placed on the family medical emergency list Tuesday, and the left-hander missed the team’s three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in Anaheim to address an undisclosed family issue.

With rosters expanding Saturday, the Angels will not have to make a corresponding move to activate Downs, who is 1-1 with a 3.08 earned-run average in 44 appearances.

The Angels bullpen provided seven scoreless innings against the Red Sox, but the group has struggled as a whole since the All-Star break, combining for a 5.71 ERA in 44 games entering Friday.

Some of those struggles could be attributed to the loss of Downs, who went on the disabled list because of a shoulder strain on July 31 and didn’t return until Aug. 18.

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