Zach Neto Reacts to Making 2025 Debut After Starting Season on IL

The Los Angeles Angels welcomed back last season's most effective player as Zach Neto made his 2025 debut Friday night.

He was a major part in the victory over the San Francisco Giants hitting an RBI double in his first at-bat since last September and getting the Halos back into the win column after four-straight losses.

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The shortstop spoke on what it was like to make such a long-awaited return in a time his team needed it the most.

“It's awesome,” Neto said, via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. “It's probably the closest thing to my debut, getting that call. Just coming here, kind of where it all started again. So I'm excited to be back and get to work and be with the guys again.”

Manager Ron Washington confirmed that the team wanted to get their shortstop back in action, and added a comedic remark regarding Neto's promotion from a Triple-A rehab assignment.

“It’s tremendous,” manager Ron Washington said. “He’s chomping at the bit to play. We want him to play. We’ve missed him. And now he’s back. I told him when he went out there, I said, ‘If there’s a play that you don’t make, you’re going back to Salt Lake City. He just said, ‘I ain’t worried about that.’”

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Neto's arrival came a little sooner than expected as his rehab assignment was set to conclude April 20. He would have had to have been optioned to the minor leagues if he exceeded his time on assignment.

Another player who contributed to the Friday night victory, Tyler Anderson and his six scoreless innings, noted how excited he was to get Neto back both on and off the field.

“It was great,” said Anderson. “We all love him, not only for stuff he does on the field, but he's just a fun guy to have in the locker room and keeps things light and has fun every day. And anytime someone comes back from an injury it’s always an emotional, happy thing, so I was super pumped having him back out there.”

The shortstop led the Angels in WAR (5.1), stolen bases (30), and RBIs (77) last season while hitting .249/.318/.443 with an OPS of .761. He looks to meet, if not exceed, those marks in the new year.

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