ANGELES — With left calf stiffness, shortstop Zach Neto of the Angels left Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, ending the night after lefty Patrick Sandoval left his start early and ended up on the injured list the next day.
After an MRI early on Saturday, the Angels are still awaiting word on the extent of Sandoval’s injury. However, Neto expressed optimism about his condition while speaking with reporters following a 7-2 loss at Dodger Stadium.
He added that in the second inning, he fouled a ball off his lower left thigh and hurt himself, then in the fourth inning, he made a play that made his injury worse. But with Sunday off, he was hoping to return to the starting lineup on Monday against the A’s.
“I attempted to grind it out even though I fouled one off my calf and it wasn’t pretty.” stated Neto. “I didn’t want to quit the game, but it never got better. I was quite excellent at that play, but my left leg went out on me as soon as I planted my feet.
Ron Washington talks about the 7-2 loss to the Angels.
June 22, 2024 · 0:57
Ron Washington talks about the 7-2 loss to the Angels.
To Neto’s right, Miguel Rojas hit a ground ball, and he attempted to slide stop and throw to first base. Neto attempted to make the play, but stumbled because he was unable to support his left leg with his weight.
With a day off to recover, manager Ron Washington stated he thinks Neto will be OK.
“He’s alright,” Washington declared. “Not to worry. I plan to have him play on Monday. He received treatment for it, and he will be off tomorrow. So maybe on Monday he’ll be ready to depart.
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But Neto was clearly hurt after the play, and he was substituted for Michael Stefanic in the game, with Stefanic going to second base and Luis Guillorme to shortstop, following a discussion with Washington and assistant athletic trainer Eric Munson. Given his importance to the team, Neto said it was more of a preventive measure because it didn’t make sense to risk being hurt again.
“There wasn’t really a reason for me to keep going after the trainers came out,” Neto stated. “The season is still early. Thus, leaving the game to make sure everything is well is merely a precaution. And simply go before anything significant occurs.
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June 22, 2024 · 0:27
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For Neto, who has been a standout defender this season and has been heating up at the plate, it was a brief concern. In his first full season in the Majors, Neto—the 13th overall pick in the 2022 Draft—has slashed.250/.299/.433 in 74 games with 10 home runs, 16 doubles, and 32 RBIs. However, since May arrived, he has improved even more, slashing.265/.313/.483 in 45 games with eight home runs, nine doubles, and 21 RBIs.
He has demonstrated that his unconventional leg kick can generate above-average power for a shortstop in the Major Leagues. Washington has come to favor him due to his desire to put in the work and his self-assurance, and he has continued to tone it down with two strikes.
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June 22, 2024 · 0:18
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The Angels won’t have many choices at shortstop if Neto needs to miss any time and isn’t cleared to play by Monday. If Neto were to spend time on the injured list, which is doubtful, Kyren Paris would be their first choice for a call-up; Guillorme and Luis Rengifo can also play short. However, Rengifo has only been started at short this season by the Angels once; the majority of his playing time has been spent at second and third base.
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Additionally, right-hander Tyler Glasnow held the Angels in check as right-hander Zach Plesac struggled in the series finale, despite the fact that the team overcame Sandoval’s injury in their 3-2 victory in 10 innings in the series opener. After pitching three and a third innings, Plesac gave up six runs on seven hits, including a home run of 459 feet by Shohei Ohtani. In both encounters with his old team, Ohtani scored a home run.
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June 22, 2024 · 0:07
Zach Plesac gets Will Smith out.
However, Washington felt that the Angels may improve moving forward as the series ended in a split with the formidable Dodgers.
Regarding the Dodgers, Washington stated, “They’re a pretty good team that showed their power and their might tonight.” “They carried out their duties. Luckily, we managed to keep them at bay last night. However, we were unable to contain them tonight.
