The Los Angeles Angels took a loss at the hands of the L.A. Dodgers on Saturday night, escaping this edition of the Freeway Series with a 1-1 split. However, the Halos nearly suffered a bigger loss than the game when Zach Neto was removed due to a lower leg injury.
Neto had an awkward slip going for a ground ball in the fourth inning and was immediately removed from the game. Any time something like that happens, it’s easy to expect and assume the worst. And with the way the Angels are constructed this season, losing Neto for any extended period of time would be hugely damaging to the team’s long-term goals.
Luckily, it appears as though Neto should be fine and is expected to play on Monday, via manager Ron Washington. Neto explained how he was feeling after the game, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“I feel pretty good,” Neto said. “A little sore right now. Looking forward to resting tomorrow, let it heal by itself and come back on Monday and see how it feels.”
According to Neto, he felt some discomfort after fouling a ball off of his leg in the second inning. He then aggravated that with his slip in the fourth. However, it doesn’t seem as though any major damage was caused by either moment.
The Angels get a rare Sunday off day thanks to the Freeway Series, giving Neto a full day off to recover without having to miss any time. The hope is that the cornerstone shortstop is back in the lineup when the Angels return home to face the Oakland Athletics on Monday evening.
Angels still waiting for word on Patrick Sandoval
Neto’s potential injury came one night after Patrick Sandoval exited Friday’s game early with what the team called a forearm injury. However, with Sandoval, the outlook appears to be much more grim. He was certainly scared by the injury and the lack of an update from the Angels could be a sign of a serious issue that could keep the young pitcher out.
