It wasn’t long before Mickey Moniak had positive returns for the Los Angeles Angels, but after a bunt attempt sent him to the injured list for nearly a month, the club thinks there’s a good shot he will return this year.
The Angels traded starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline for Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez. Moniak is a former No. 1 overall pick and the Angels are hopeful a change of scenery will kickstart his development into a productive player.
On Aug. 6, Moniak laid down a bunt against the Seattle Mariners, and the ball appeared to hit his left middle finger, which wound up being a fracture. However, Angels head trainer, Mike Frostad provided an update on the 24-year-old, via MLB.com:
Moniak had his stitches removed on Aug. 12 and progressed to hitting off a tee on Aug. 29, per Frostad. Moniak progressed to taking batting practice in the cages and his next step will be facing live pitching, Frostad said on Sept. 2, adding that the Angels remain very optimistic he’ll return at some point this season.
Moniak was hitting .286/.333/.714 with two home runs and three RBI in five games prior to his finger injury.
Angels manager Phil Nevin expressed his frustration for Moniak, who stated early that he thought a new environment would help provide a boost for his young career.
With less than a month left in the regular season, the Angels will take caution in sending Moniak back to action, but with an initial five solid games with the team, they’ll absolutely want to see more of what could be.
Angels expect Jared Walsh ‘back to 100 percent’ after surgery
The Angels placed Jared Walsh on the injured list on Aug. 25 with immense shoulder discomfort, which wound up being thoracic outlet syndrome ending his season.
But the good news is that there is a plan for Walsh’s return to the field after a down year. The 29-year-old endured a difficult season from both a statistical standpoint and the mental side as well.
Walsh altered a few of his mechanics to try and find a fix to what plagued him at the plate, but nothing seemed to stick. In 118 games he slashed .215/.269/.374 for the Angels, and overall he posted a -0.6 WAR in that span.
Hitting coach Jeremy Reed and the Angels are optimistic about the outlook for their first baseman as they turn their focus on him to next season.
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