The Los Angeles Angels received a major reinforcement on Saturday as Jared Walsh was activated off the 10-day injured list. To make room on the active roster, Brett Phillips was designated for assignment.
Walsh went 0-for-4 in his season debut against the Minnesota Twins, but for the 29-year-old, he is simply happy to just be back on the field.
Walsh had been dealing with insomnia and headaches that kept him out for nearly two months, and the recovery process was especially difficult. He described it as “Hell” and wasn’t sure what was happening to his body.
Walsh remains frustrated with his neurological issues but doctors assured him they won’t impact his career in the long term, per Sam Blum of The Athletic:
He’s been told by doctors that this will not impact his career over the long term. Walsh has been told by his physicians that they’ve seen worse cases than his that have led to recoveries. The concern clearly won’t be quashed until his symptoms go away fully.
“To work this hard to get to this level, and then all this stuff pop up has been tough,” Walsh said. “It’s been a struggle.”
Angels manager Phil Nevin will always be concerned with Walsh’s health but is happy the first baseman is back with the club and doing better:
“This is uncharted waters with Walshy, I’m concerned about him still,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “Even when (he plays), it’s always going to be in the back of my mind. I worry about him. … It’s a scary deal. I think he’s got some clarity.
Even though he has been cleared to play again, Walsh will continue working on his health to ensure he gets back to his usual self and that the issues don’t arise in the future:
He assumes there will be some work he does to maintain his health once he comes back. There’s hope, though, that by giving his brain what it needs now, it adapts and allows him to be his usual self.
“Understanding that if I’m walking into walls and doing weird stuff like that, that I’m probably not in the best position to be reactionary,” Walsh said.
Walsh was selected by the Angels in the 39th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut in 2019 and enjoyed a breakout the following year.
After earning an All-Star selection in 2021, Walsh endured the worst season of his career last year. He was off to a great start in Spring Training before his condition sidelined him, and he will now look to get back to that level.
Brett Phillips struggled with Angels
Phillips, who signed a one-year contract with the Angels during the offseason, was used almost exclusively as a defensive substitution and pinch-runner this year.
He batted just .077/.250/.077 in 16 plate appearances across 20 games during his time with the team. The Angels now have one week to trade him or place him on outright waivers.
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