Yoan Moncada has had a troubling history of injuries throughout his Major League career. He was hoping to turn the page this season with the Los Angeles Angels where he was slated to be the team’s 3rd baseman. However, a thumb injury could keep Moncada out of the Angels’ lineup on Opening Day and beyond.
Yoán Moncada’s thumb is worse than we thought. His spot on the Opening Day roster is now in doubt. Probably opens the door for Tim Anderson as the starting 2B (with Rengifo at 3b)
Also, some good news on Zach Neto, and a little talk about the lineup.https://t.co/38Z68uCWPS
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) March 16, 2025
Moncada had been relatively healthy throughout much of spring training. He was scheduled to play Friday, but he was pulled from the lineup because of the thumb injury. The team will keep an eye on Moncada and he will undergo multiple evaluations. After the team’s medical staff examines his thumb during the week, his timeline will be updated.
The Moncada injury could open the door for Tim Anderson to make the Angels roster. His former teammate with the Chicago White Sox was invited to spring training as a non-roster player and he has been fighting to earn a spot on the Angels and potentially be in the lineup on Opening Day.
In addition to being potentially good news for Anderson, the Moncada injury could also mean that Luis Rengifo has an excellent chance to make the Opening Day roster. Originally, it looked like Rengifo would have to start the season on the Injured List because he was slowed by illness at the start of spring training and then suffered a hamstring injury. However, if Moncada is deemed too injured to paly at the start of the season, the Angels may put Rengifo on the active roster.
Angels hoping to end 10-season playoff drought
It has been a long dry spell for the Halos when it comes to playing postseason baseball. While it appears that they have a significantly better roster than the team that finished with a brutal 63-99 record a year ago, that does not mean that the Angels will suddenly become a winning team that veers into American League West contention.
The key to the Angels attack is Mike Trout, who appears healthy for the first time in years. If he can avoid injuries and become a fixture in the lineup as the team’s right fielder, the Angels will become a team that pressures opponents on a regular basis.
Even if Trout has a big season, the Angels will need their pitching staff to come through in consistent fashion. The Angels have Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano and Tyler Anderson at the top of the rotation. Will ancient Kyle Hendricks and Reid Detmers hold down the final two spots adequately?
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