Prior to their matchup against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, the Los Angeles Angels recalled Mickey Moniak from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned Jake Lamb as the corresponding move.
The Angels acquired Moniak from the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline last year, and the former No. 1 overall draft pick showed glimpses of his potential before a finger injury derailed his season.
Moniak made his season debut on Saturday, which also happened to be his 25th birthday. He immediately made an impact, going 3-for-4 with a leadoff home run and walk.
According to OptaSTATS, Moniak became the first player in MLB history to make his season debut on his birthday and hit a leadoff home run:
Mickey Moniak of the @Angels is the first player in MLB history to make his season debut on his birthday and hit a leadoff home run.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 13, 2023
Moniak also became the first player in Angels franchise history to hit a leadoff home run on his birthday:
Mickey Moniak is the 1st Angels player in franchise history to hit a lead-off HR on their birthday. pic.twitter.com/J4ibiijqWT
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2023
Despite Moniak’s production in the leadoff spot, the Angels fell 8-6 to the Guardians. Moniak followed up his performance by going 1-for-4 in another loss to Cleveland on Sunday.
Even with the pair of defeats, the Angels have to be encouraged with Moniak’s progress and the offensive spark he provided. Before his promotion, he hit a stellar .308/.355/.585 in 33 games with 15 extra-base hits and 23 RBI for the Bees this season.
Angels DFA Ryan Tepera
The Angels continued shuffling their roster on Sunday as Ryan Tepera was designated for assignment and Zack Weiss was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to take his place.
After a solid first season with the Angels in 2022, Tepera struggled to the tune of a 7.27 ERA, 5.71 FIP, and 2.07 WHIP in 8.2 innings pitched this year.
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