The Angels positioned infielder Luis Rengifo on the 15-day injured listing earlier right now with a bicep tendon rupture. As famous by The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Rengifo won’t return in 2023 however figures to be prepared for Spring Coaching in 2024, as Rengifo himself informed reporters that he hopes to be totally recovered by the tip of the calendar 12 months. Proper-hander Gerardo Reyes changed Rengifo on the energetic roster.
It’s yet one more in an extended line of brutal accidents for the Angels this season, as nearly each key place participant has spent important time on the injured listing aside from Shohei Ohtani, who had his season on the mound finish prematurely attributable to a UCL harm. Whereas the Angels have been in a tailspin ever for the reason that calendar flipped to August, Rengifo has been a uncommon shiny spot for the membership over the previous few weeks. Whereas the 26-year-old entered the month of July slashing a dismal .202/.292/.298 on the season, he’s been on hearth ever since with a incredible .327/.388/.592 slash line in 219 journeys to the plate for the reason that begin of July. Over that 56-game stretch, Rengifo sports activities a strikeout charge of simply 18.3% and 25 additional base hits together with 12 dwelling runs.
Rengifo’s torrid second half has lifted his season numbers as much as a decent .264/.339/.444 that’s 13% higher than league common by measure of wRC+. Whereas Rengifo has principally performed second base and shortstop in his profession, he was used as one thing of a swiss-army knife by the Angels this 12 months and obtained reps at third base and all three outfield spots along with his normal positions. Whereas defensive metrics haven’t been variety to Rengifo this season, his breakout with the bat in current months mixed along with his means to play virtually anyplace on the diamond makes him an enormous asset for the Angels as they stay up for the 2024 season. Rengifo, who made $2.3MM this 12 months in his first journey by way of arbitration, is beneath membership management for the subsequent two seasons.
With Rengifo, Gio Urshela, Anthony Rendon, and Zack Neto all on the injured listing, the Halos are at present counting on 21-year-old rookie Kyren Paris at shortstop whereas using Brandon Drury, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas and 2023 first-round choose Nolan Schanuel to combine and match all through the remainder of the infield. The membership’s place participant group has been stretched significantly skinny in current days due to the absences of Ohtani and outfielder Mickey Moniak, each of whom have been thought-about day-to-day for a number of days at this level.
As for Reyes, the 30-year-old righty sports activities a 7.45 ERA and 6.36 FIP in 9 2/3 innings of labor with Anaheim this 12 months, with equally tough figures on the Triple-A degree. In 36 innings of labor with the membership’s Salt Lake Metropolis affiliate, Reyes has mustered a 6.25 ERA with an elevated 12.3% stroll charge. Nonetheless, he’ll provide the membership pitching depth as they end out the rest of the 2023 marketing campaign.
