The Angels announced that shortstop Zach Neto has been reinstated from the injured list. It was reported yesterday that Neto was likely to be reinstated for this weekend. In a corresponding move, infielder Nicky Lopez has been designated for assignment.
Lopez, 30, signed with the Halos just before Opening Day. He had signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the winter but opted out of that pact when he wasn’t going to break camp with the Cubbies.
For the Angels, they were looking to cover up for a number of infield injuries. Neto underwent shoulder surgery in November and was going to miss the early portions of the 2025 season. Third baseman Anthony Rendon required hip surgery in February and is going to be out of action for a while. To help fill in the infield depth, the club brought in Lopez, Yoán Moncada, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman and J.D. Davis. Moncada has also been hurt and is currently on the IL due to a thumb sprain.
Despite all of the injuries, Lopez hasn’t really received any playing time. He has six plate appearances across five games, not reaching base in any of them. Anderson had taken over the shortstop position. He didn’t hit much but his glovework received decent grades in his small sample of work. With Neto’s return, he’ll be downgraded into a bench role anyhow. Luis Rengifo is holding down third while Kyren Paris is having a breakout, taking over the second base position while hitting .326/.426/.717.
Lopez already seemed somewhat superfluous on the roster, with Neto’s return squeezing him out even further. The Angels will now technically have a week of DFA limbo time to figure out what’s next, but Lopez has enough service time to reject an outright assignment, so he seems likely to be a free agent within a week’s time.
Generally speaking, he’s been a light-hitting glove-first infielder in his career. He has a .247/.311/.313 batting line in 2,352 big league plate appearances, with that line translating to a 73 wRC+. Reviews on his shortstop glovework are mixed as he has -11 Defensive Runs Saved but 33 Outs Above Average. He also has lots of experience at the other infield positions with good marks there, and some brief left field work as well.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Sooo many good choices, but Lopez seemed like the most obvious.
That’s who I figured would go.
Newman is now the lowest hanging fruit on the roster.
Newman is guaranteed 2.5 million. If it is a coin toss, contracts do come into play when such decisions are made.
The Angels best player is back. It is the natural that the guy getting paid the least and seeing the least playing time is the first to go. Neto will be getting most the playing time. Anderson will get the Newman play time and Newman will get the Lopez playing time.
Welcome back Zach. On your first day back you get to face Logan Webb. Good luck.
2021 will be a season Lopez will always remember
players with no power have little room for slumps.
Holy smokes, no kidding. Just looked at his career numbers. Lopez has done pretty well to have lasted as long in baseball as he has
He didn’t get enough opportunity to slump.
How does TA still have a job? Would he be employed if his manager was not Ron Washington?
You don’t watch Angel games. If you had been, you wouldn’t be asking that question.
Just look at the relay yesterday. That’s one small example.
A relay? A basic baseball play a competent professional should know how to do before high school? Is the other small example his robust hitting or his self-proclaimed nickname? Please enlighten us with a real reason he still has a major league job.
You didn’t watch the play. Actually it’s not. You can go a month without seeing it executed as well as that. I seldom see players catch and throw that accurately with that velocity with such limited glove time.
And that was only one play.
I think Halo is referring to Andersons defense thus far in ’25. In limited playing time, Anderson has posted 4 OAA making him one of the best defenders in the game according to Statcast. On the flipside, you’re probably referring to Andersons offense where he is significantly below MLB average over his past 800+ PAs in SO%, BB%, EV, HH%, LD%, GB% and FB%.
And I gave that one play as an example. So he either doesn’t know baseball, or didn’t see the play.
The Angels have played 18 games, and that was by far their best executed play of the season.
And the two best plays, excluding that play, were made by Anderson. They are doubling down on their ignorance. They could have at least watched it.
Tim Anderson is a baseball player who is in steep decline.
Sure is, but he’s playing very good defense and the Angels had another player to drop. That’s why he still has a job.
Davis and Anderson are on the short list when Moncada comes back.
Not sure what you’re inferring there; Wash would play a personal favorite over the good of the team? Tim will probably be gone soon, but I prefer him over Newman.
Angels losing a valuable reliever in Nicky Lopez.
Crucial for all those times you’re down to the White Sox 9-1
TA is zero at the plate but so is Lopez. Obviously the Angels are hoping TA rebounds some at the plate however his best days are now five plus years ago. It’s hard to believe this man was a batting champion and earned a silver slugger as well. He looks way overmatched at the plate now. His skills evaporated overnight.
The Angels pitchers don’t strike anyone out. Neto may be healthy, may not be.
It’s about his defense, at this point I don’t think anyone thinks he will hit. He was batting 9th for a reason.
LOL. Hindsight, etc.
Translation please?
Neto can definitely hit. Now that Neto is back, Anderson only needs to play defense at this juncture.