The Los Angeles Angels made a roster move prior to their matchup with the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, recalling outfielder Mickey Moniak and optioning infielder Jake Lamb to Triple-A Salt Lake.
The Angels acquired Moniak last season at the trade deadline, along with Single-A prospect Jadiel Sanchez, in a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for Noah Syndergaard. The Angels were hoping the 2016 first overall pick in the MLB Draft would benefit from a change of scenery, but he has been unable to find any footing at the Major League level.
In his first five games with the Angels, Moniak slugged two home runs, but he fractured his middle finger in a bunt attempt, which forced him to hit the injured list. He was activated a month later, appearing in 14 games from Sept. 9 to Sept. 28, but unfortunately, he couldn’t gather much momentum.
In 46 at-bats to wrap up the season, Moniak batted .174 with one homer, three RBI, with a 20-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. On the season, he compiled a .170/.207/.302 slash in his time with the Angels and Phillies during the 2022 year, good for a 42 OPS+.
Over his career, the left-handed hitting outfielder has appeared in 66 games, batting .157/.218/.268 with four home runs, 11 RBI and 19 runs scored.
Lamb was signed to a Minor League deal this past offseason and made the Angels Opening Day roster when Jared Walsh was placed on the injured list. Over 51 plate appearances with the Angels, he hit just .216 with two home runs, five RBI and a .612 OPS.
The former All-Star was in the midst of a rebound campaign last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a bench player, but ultimately regressed when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners, hitting .167/.265/.300 following the trade.
The 32-year-old has tried to embrace a new role for himself as a bench player with the hopes of sticking around at the Major League level, but unfortunately, he has not found much success without everyday at-bats. With consistent playing time in Salt Lake, perhaps he can re-discover his swing.
Angels signed Reyes Moronta
To supplement the loss of a few relievers, the Angels announced the signing of Reyes Moronta to a Minor League contract.
Moronta has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, most notably for his time with the San Francisco Giants from 2017-to-2021. In that stretch, he owned a 2.65 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 152 ERA+ in 132.1 innings.
Last season, he spent time with the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, ultimately taking a step back in his performance with a 4.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and allowing 4.3 walks per nine innings.
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