Caleb Clay was very specific about his goals when he came back to the States in June.

“Get there and stay,” the former Cullman pitcher told The Times of his major league aspirations. “A lot of people get there, but they can’t stay.”

In an unfortunate turn of events, Clay got there, cracking the Los Angeles Angels roster on Sunday, only to be told he couldn’t stay by early Tuesday evening. That’s when the club announced it was optioning the right-hander back to Triple-A Salt Lake in exchange for power-hitting lefty Brennan Boesch.

“Just another day in the baseball business, I guess,” said Clay, who was nothing but positive in a phone interview with The Times Tuesday night. “I completely understand the business side of it. I was actually expecting to get optioned down after I didn’t throw Monday, but they kept me up for the off day, so that was cool.”

Clay, a first-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2006, earned his first MLB callup when the Angels were hurting for long relief following a 19-inning marathon late Saturday night that didn’t wrap up until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

It was about that time Clay received the call he’d awaited his entire life. According to the Deseret News, the hurler had been slumbering around 2 a.m. when Salt Lake coach Keith Johnson rang to let Clay know he was heading to the show.

“It was good and it was weird all at the same time,” Johnson told the Salt Lake newspaper. “I mean, he was so groggy that I don’t think he could be as excited as he wanted to be once he actually woke up and was like, ‘Wait a minute, I’m going to the big leagues.’

“It’s always good to tell the guys their very first time that they’re going up there. Obviously it was a really, really quick turnaround, but I’m happy for him. It’s a well-earned honor.”

The next 24 hours were a whirlwind for Clay, who, on little sleep, caught an 8 a.m. flight and arrived at Angel Stadium around 10:30 a.m. for the team’s 12:30 p.m. game. He then had to make a “mad rush” to get a hat and uniform (No. 60), as well as a pair of cleats that matched the Angels’ signature red.

Other than being stressed, shaky and tired, Clay was ready by gametime. So were his mom, dad, brother, sister, girlfriend and girlfriend’s dad, who booked it to Anaheim in case Clay made his MLB debut.

Manager Mike Scoscia never retrieved the righty from the bullpen, though, and the Angels failed to pick up much offense in a 3-1 loss to the Red Sox.

“They were pretty disappointed when I didn’t get to pitch,” Clay said of his swarm of supporters. “I was too. I kind of felt bad for them.”

That disappointment was replaced with hunger by Tuesday evening. Now that he’s had a taste of the major league stage — albeit a tiny one — Clay is beyond determined to prove he deserves another shot.

“I’m ready to go back to Salt Lake and try to earn my way back up for good,” he said.

Even if that doesn’t end up happening, how many folks can say they’ve had a two-day experience like Clay’s?

Not many.

“I knew things would have to work out very favorably for me to get on the roster someway, somehow,” he said. “It just so happened they played 19 innings and the next day I was supposed to pitch (at Salt Lake). I think it’s like a God thing I was put in that situation.”

Despite the short stay, the fact Clay was promoted in the first place gives the pitcher cause for an optimistic future. If the Angels were confident enough to select his contract at this juncture in the season, it’s likely he’ll be strongly considered when the team is able to expand its roster from 25 to 40 players on Sept. 1.

“Giving me a shot, getting to meet the other players in the clubhouse, see the facilities, meet the staff, I think that really increased my chances for a September callup,” Clay said. “I might be wrong, but I’m always hoping for the best.”

Of course, Clay could earn a second promotion even sooner if he keeps putting up solid numbers at Salt Lake. In 52 1/3 innings over eight starts, he was 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA and 34 strikeouts.

Clay’s best outing was a three-hit, complete-game shutout against Las Vegas that earned him Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors in mid-July.

Clay will hop on a flight at 10 a.m. Wednesday and rejoin Salt Lake in the middle of an eight-game road trip. He’ll return just in time for three games in Omaha, Neb., followed by another four in Des Moines, Iowa.

Clay is currently unsure when his next start will be, though he’d prefer for it to come sooner than later. The fireballer’s last start was Aug. 4.

“I feel like I’m withering away,” he said. “I haven’t pitched in forever.