Yoán Moncada will require surgery to address his right knee injury, reports Francys Romero. Specifics on the procedure aren’t clear, nor is it known whether Moncada is expected back this season. He’s out until at least mid-July after the Angels transferred him to the 60-day injured list this evening.
Moncada seemingly never fully recovered from the right knee issue that cost him five weeks last summer. The veteran switch-hitter said the injury most severely impacted him when he would bat from the right side. The Angels accordingly limited him to 26 plate appearances versus lefty pitching this year. That wasn’t enough to avoid an IL stint, nor apparently to stave off surgery.
This is the fifth straight season in which Moncada has missed time. He has lost over a month in each of the past four years and hasn’t reached 400 plate appearances in a season since 2022. Moncada remained a slightly above-average hitter when he was able to take the field between 2023-25. That hasn’t been the case this season, as he batted .189/.308/.297 in 130 trips before going on the shelf.
Moncada is playing his second season in Anaheim on a $4MM contract. He’ll return to free agency in November. If this procedure winds up sidelining him for most or all of the remaining 2026 schedule, he’d very likely be limited to a minor league deal next offseason.
Journeyman utility player Donovan Walton has gotten the bulk of the third base playing time over the last couple weeks. The Halos recalled 22-year-old Denzer Guzman from Triple-A this evening. He’s mashing at a .336/.403/.571 clip in the minors and is one of the better prospects in a weak farm system. Guzman is in the lineup at the hot corner tonight against Houston. That’ll be the plan for the time being, as skipper Kurt Suzuki told reporters (including Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune) that Guzman will be the primary third baseman.
