Story by
Angels' Yoán Moncada Placed on Injured List, May Need Surgery
- Story by
- Angels' Yoán Moncada Placed on Injured List, May Need Surgery
A disastrous season for Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoán Moncada has gotten even worse.
Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register broke that Moncada is going onto the injured list with a knee injury, which the Angels later confirmed and described as right knee inflammation . Fletcher also revealed the soon-to-be 31-year-old underwent an MRI on Friday; reporter Francys Romero later added that depending on the results, Moncada may need to undergo knee surgery that would effectively end his season.
Advertisement
Since playing in 144 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2021, Moncada has missed at least 50 games over the past four seasons and played fewer than 100 games over the past three. The once-promising third baseman has been ravaged by injuries over the years, playing just 12 games with the White Sox in 2024 due to an adductor strain. He would sign with the Angels before the 2025 season and played in 84 games, but missed time with thumb and knee injuries.
The Angels re-signed Moncada before the 2026 season, as he registered a respectable .783 OPS in 289 plate appearances. Unfortunately, that production has not been seen this year. As of May 22, Moncada is slashing .189/.308/.297 with three home runs and a 77 wRC+; when combined with poor defense at the hot corner (-3 Defensive Runs Saved, -5 Outs Above Average), he has -0.3 fWAR in 41 games.
Advertisement
Last season, Moncada missed over a month with right knee inflammation, and it's clear that this injury is still bothering him. Because of this, he has effectively become a platoon player for the Angels despite being a switch-hitter; the knee discomfort has prevented him from batting as a right-handed hitter against left-handed pitching. Moncada's continued struggles eventually forced him out of the lineup entirely, only seeing seven plate appearances since May 14 (one as a pinch hitter).
As a corresponding move, the Angels called up infielder Donovan Walton from the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. Walton, 31, has only played in 72 MLB games since 2019, hitting .172/.223/.298 in 214 plate appearances.
Advertisement
Other roster moves made by the Angels included optioning outfielder Josh Lowe to Triple-A Salt Lake, calling up fellow outfielder Wade Meckler , and transferring starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to the 60-day IL.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
