ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels expected a boost with the return of third baseman Yoán Moncada, who was activated for Tuesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers after missing five weeks because of right knee inflammation.
The switch-hitting Moncada, 30, was batting .237 with an .841 OPS, six homers, six doubles and 19 RBIs in 30 games when he went on the injured list on June 2. Moncada is also one of the team’s more disciplined hitters, with 32 strikeouts and 13 walks in 113 plate appearances.
“We’ve all seen it — we know how valuable he is to us,” Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “He just anchors everything. He brings peace and calm to third base and the lineup. I’m glad he’s here.”
Moncada, who batted sixth and played third base Tuesday night, had four hits in nine at-bats during a brief rehabilitation stint with the club’s rookie league affiliate in Arizona, playing one game at third base.
“I’m not 100%,” Moncada, speaking through an interpreter, said when asked if his knee is still bothering him a bit, “but the knee is … I don’t feel as bad.”
Luis Rengifo, who is batting .230 with a .584 OPS, four homers and 20 RBIs in 83 games, and Kevin Newman, who is batting .211 with a .486 OPS in 43 games, were the team’s primary third basemen in Moncada’s absence, but neither is as productive as Moncada.
Rengifo will move to second base to replace the injured Christian Moore, but he is still expected to make some starts at third as Moncada is eased back into a full-time role.
“I think there’s sort of an air of caution in general,” Montgomery said, when asked if Moncada will need more days off. “We have a four-day break coming up in a week. He’s missed some time. He played three games. He came out of them clean. We want to keep that momentum, and if we can, we will.”
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