Angels Infielder Could Be Placed on Injured List Ahead of Opening Day

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada is dealing with a thumb injury, and with Opening Day quickly approaching, he has not been able to throw or hit yet.

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On Monday, Moncada did take some grounders, but there is a chance he will open the season on the injured list. The 29-year-old would be the second Angels infielder to start the season on the injured list, as shortstop Zach Neto is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

If both Moncada and Neto begin the season on the injured list, that leaves two infield spots up for grabs. Moncada's absence would likely slide Luis Rengifo to the hot corner, and there are a few replacements for Neto.

Nevertheless, Moncada is hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Day.

“We’ve just got to wait and see,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Depends on how quick he heals.”

As for how Moncada sustained the injury? That remains a mystery.

“Just one day, he came out there and the doc said that he hurt his thumb,” Washington said, via The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher. “That could happen many ways. He doesn’t even know. He just woke up one morning and his thumb was messed up. Might have been something that happened and it didn’t affect him till the next day. But it is a deep bruise, and he can’t throw. And he has trouble swinging the bat. When you’re swinging the bat, you’re pulling down on that, so you’ve got to be cautious.”

Moncada has dealt with injury issues in the past. In 2024, he played only 12 games with the Chicago White Sox after suffering a left adductor strain in April. Moncada returned for one contest in September.

The 29-year-old has played in just 208 games over the last three years. The hope is that Moncada's thumb injury is just a minor setback.

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