Saturday, August 02

It’s mid-June and the Angels are hanging around .500 and on the fringe of contending for an American League Wild Card spot.

There’s been plenty going on with this club, including Mike Trout’s return from the injured list as a designated hitter and the promotion of top prospect Christian Moore. With that in mind, here are five questions facing the Angels right now:

How long will Mike Trout be relegated to designated hitter duty?

Trout returned from his bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee on May 30, but he has yet to play right field. He did participate in pregame workouts in right field on June 6-7, but felt some soreness in his knee and shut that down.

Trout is still healthy enough to play, but he isn’t quite ready to see action in right field just yet. He’s waiting for the soreness to subside, as he doesn’t want to suffer any setbacks. There’s no real timetable for Trout’s return to the outfield just yet, so he’ll continue to be the everyday DH until he feels he’s ready to run and cut in the outfield without any issues.

What other top prospects could be called up like Christian Moore?

The Angels made a big splash on Friday, calling up second baseman Moore, who is ranked as their No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Moore, 22, was the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s Draft, so he’s yet another Angels player to reach the big leagues in a hurry, joining others such as Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Ben Joyce.

No. 2 prospect Caden Dana and No. 5 prospect Sam Aldegheri have both seen action in long relief with the Angels this year and remain on the club’s radar. But one position player to look out for is center fielder Nelson Rada, who is the club’s No. 6 prospect.

Rada is just 19 years old, but he is hitting .295/.405/.338 with nine doubles, 27 stolen bases and 28 runs scored in 60 games with Double-A Rocket City. The Angels are in need of a true defensive center fielder and he’s considered a strong defender in center. His promotion isn’t imminent, but he’s someone to keep an eye on, as the Angels aren’t afraid to push their young prospects. Dana was also just 20 years old when he made his debut late last season, so it can’t be ruled out.

Who is the Angels’ most likely All-Star?

There’s still plenty of time before the All-Star rosters are revealed on July 6, but it’s always fun to speculate. Neto has again been the club’s best player and is a deserving candidate, despite a crowded field at shortstop. He’s combined power, speed and strong defense up the middle, and he has developed into one of the game’s best young players.

Otherwise, catcher Logan O’Hoppe has a shot because there haven’t been too many productive catchers in the AL behind Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh, but he’s been slumping. Lefty Yusei Kikuchi also has a chance if he continues to pitch like he has been recently.

What’s the plan with Reid Detmers?

Detmers has developed into an indispensable part of the bullpen. But manager Ron Washington did say he still views Detmers as a starter again at some point going forward. He’s posted a 0.60 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 15 innings over his last 14 appearances, emerging as a top setup reliever along with Ryan Zeferjahn.

Detmers will stay in that role for now, but a move back to the rotation later this year can’t be ruled out. The Angels still want to see what right-hander Jack Kochanowicz can do and believe Kyle Hendricks has more in the tank. But it’s something to monitor as the season goes along.

How long will Yoán Moncada be out?

Moncada was initially hopeful that it would be a minimum stay on the 10-day injured list when he was placed there on June 2 with right knee inflammation. But it’s been slow to heal and he’s been only able to take swings off a tee in the cage from the left side. Hitting from the right side still bothers him.

He didn’t join the Angels on their current road trip and he’ll be reassessed when they get home on Friday after their four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Moncada, 30, has been solid when healthy, batting .237/.336/.505 with six homers, six doubles and 19 RBIs in 30 games. With Moncada out, Luis Rengifo will see more action at third base, and he showed some signs of coming out of his season-long funk with two homers on Saturday.

The Angels have a big decision to make coming up soon, as they have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on July 13 during All-Star Week festivities. MLB.com Draft expert Jim Callis revealed his latest mock draft on Friday and has the Angels selecting LSU left-hander Kade Anderson, who is considered the best college arm available in Callis' estimation.

Anderson, though, also could be a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Nationals, which would leave other college arms available such as Florida State’s Jamie Arnold and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle. But Callis also said not to rule out prep players such as Eli Willits (son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits), Jo Jo Parker and Daniel Pierce.

Who has the lowest ERA in club history with a minimum of 1,000 innings pitched?

A. Nolan Ryan

B. Jered Weaver

C. Frank Tanana

D. Dean Chance

After their four-game series in the Bronx, the Angels return home to host the Astros from Friday to Sunday, the Red Sox from June 23-25 and the Nationals from June 27-29. There’s a City Connect tank top giveaway on Friday before Schanuel has his first bobblehead giveaway on Saturday. It’s also Christmas in June when the Nationals are in town, featuring a Christmas in June drone show on June 27 and a plaid blanket giveaway on June 28.

D. Chance, with a 2.83 ERA in 1,236 2/3 innings. 

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