The Los Angeles Angels made a series of moves to address a few spots on the roster before Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros, including placing Chad Wallach on the injured list and recalling Jimmy Herget.
The Angels have had their depth tested at the catcher position with Max Stassi out for an undetermined period and Logan O’Hoppe recently undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum. Both of which made Matt Thaiss the primary guy behind the plate.
Unfortunately, Wallach entered concussion protocol after waking up with a stiff neck, which gave the Angels enough pause to place him on the 7-day IL. He’ll be eligible for activation prior to their weekend series with the Cleveland Guardians if cleared, but he may miss a longer period of time.
They, in turn, selected the contract of Chris Okey to give them a backup on the Major League roster. The 28-year-old made his debut on Tuesday.
Herget was also recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake after five appearances in the Minor Leagues. In five innings with the Bees, the right-hander posted a 5.40 ERA with seven punch outs, allowing three earned runs on seven hits.
The corresponding move to Herget’s call-up was designating César Valdez for assignment. The veteran was with the club for a short period as a multi-inning option if the Angels needed him in a pinch.
Jared Walsh has ‘some hurdles’ before returning to Angels
With a bit of shuffling around the middle infield prior to calling up rookie Zach Neto, he’s been given the majority of starts at shortstop. Luis Rengifo and Brandon Drury have alternated starts at second base and Anthony Rendon is locked in at third.
Drury has been a key contributor with his bat becoming a weapon in the Angels’ offense, but adding Jared Walsh would be another huge addition once he’s ready for game action.
The unfortunate part of Walsh’s recovery is that his status isn’t related to the shoulder injury that he dealt with last season, but rather insomnia and persistent headaches which sparked up near the end of Spring Training.
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