Angels Don't Yet Know Their Starting Shortstop or Second Baseman, Says Manager

The Los Angeles Angels have not confirmed the plan for the middle infield, according to manager Ron Washington. While it's expected that Nolan Schanuel will play at first base and Yoan Moncada will be at third to open the season, there has been no final decision on who will occupy shortstop and second base come Opening Day.

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#Angels manager Ron Washington said they haven't made a decision on who will start at shortstop or second base yet. GM Perry Minasian said there's still a chance Luis Rengifo (hamstring) is ready by Opening Day. He participated in on-field drills today.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) March 10, 2025

“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Washington said.

Starting shortstop Zach Neto is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, so he will not be in the Angels' Opening Day lineup. Neto's absence leaves the Angels looking for a replacement until he is ready to make his 2025 debut for the Halos.

Tim Anderson, who's with the Angels in a minor league deal, feels like a great option to fill that role.

As for second base, there was a lot of speculation surrounding top prospect Christian Moore. Moore was the No. 8 overall pick in last year's draft, and has already impressed many with his performance in the minors. The 22-year-old has also had a strong spring, as some MLB insiders have called Moore the talk of Angels camp.

“I wouldn't rule anything out,” general manager Perry Minasian said, via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. “We're taking the best team. We really like our system and the young players we have. If somebody's going to make us better on the field, we’re not going to hesitate to give them the opportunity to do that.”

While Moore is certainly a candidate, there are other players who are more experienced than the young Halo who could win the starting spot. Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery are both candidates to land the job.

Utility man Luis Rengifo was poised to earn a starting job, however, he is currently dealing with a bit of a setback as hamstring tightness has put a question mark on his availability for Opening Day.

“Luis is feeling better,” Minasian said. “Obviously, he’s had a rough spring in the sense that he hasn't been able to play that much. It's been minor things, knock on wood. There's still plenty of time left. But we’ve got some players there, depending on how it shakes out, that we feel good about.”

If Rengifo is healthy enough to play come Opening Day, he'll be the team's starting second baseman. If not, there will be a very interesting competition for his spot.

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