ANAHEIM — Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery moved Zach Neto to a spot he figures the shortstop is going to occupy for much of his career.
Neto got his first career start in the No. 3 spot in the lineup on Monday, with Mike Trout hitting in the leadoff spot that Neto had held for much of the season.
“We’ll get a couple people on for you and you drive them in,” Montgomery said he told Neto. “That’s your job.”
The No. 3 spot is typically reserved for a team’s best hitter, although many analysts these days argue that the best hitter should hit second.
Ironically, Montgomery moved Neto, 24, into this spot just a day after he gave him a day off because of his slump. Neto has five hits in his last 39 at-bats, with 15 strikeouts. For the season, Neto is hitting .257 with 25 home runs and a .792 OPS, making him one of baseball’s most productive shortstops.
Montgomery also rejected the notion that Trout is no longer a middle-of-the-order run-producer.
“Not at all,” he said. “We could pick apart any particular season with 20, 30, 50, 100 at-bats, whatever the number is, and point to something that I don’t think is really there, relative to what it would be for the 12 years prior. Mike Trout is Mike Trout. Anytime he’s in the lineup and hitting first, he gets more at-bats, which for me is all the better.”
Trout has gone 25 games without a homer, the second-longest drought of his career, leaving him stuck on 398 career homers. He went 27 games without a homer in 2015. During the current stretch, the three-time American League MVP has hit .188 with a .590 OPS. His on-base percentage of .355 during the slump is still better than the major league average.
“We understand the last 50 to 100 plate appearances, it hasn’t been vintage Mike, but I’m sure if you talk to him, he’s going to be doing everything he can to get back to where he’s comfortable. He’s still very productive. It’s just not MVP Mike from 10 years ago. If you ask anybody, as they progress in their career, if you held them to the standard of their best years, I think you’re going to get that drop off. I’m sure he wants to do more. He would tell you that.”
Trout last addressed the slump on Aug. 31 in Houston, after he showed some positive signs with two doubles. He said he’s been working on flaws in his swing that cause his head to move in a way that hinders his ability to track the ball.
O’HOPPE OUT
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe was placed on the seven-day injured list, which is for players with concussions or concussion symptoms.
O’Hoppe was hit in the mask by A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson as he was wagging his bat in preparation for a pitch on Sunday afternoon.
O’Hoppe is not permitted to talk to the media while he’s in the concussion protocol.
“I heard he’s obviously feeling a little better, but got to really exercise caution with these things, so we don’t want him to feel anything other than good,” Montgomery said.
The Angels called up catcher Sebastian Rivero to take O’Hoppe’s spot on the roster. Rivero, 26, was last in the majors in 2022 with the Kansas City Royals. The Angels signed Rivero over the winter. He was in major league camp during spring training and he’s spent the season at Triple-A Salt Lake.
“It means a lot,” Rivero said. “Just telling my wife that I’m back here last night was something memorable, because she started crying. We both started crying. We prayed so much to get back here.”
The Angels moved outfielder Jorge Soler to the 60-day injured list to open a spot for Rivero on the 40-man roster. Soler, who has been out with a back injury since July 23, has just “an outside chance” of playing again this season, Montgomery said.
NOTES
Outfielder Jo Adell was a late scratch from the lineup because of vertigo. Adell was also feeling ill at the end of Sunday’s game, when he was removed because he was feeling nauseous. ..
Adell was named the American League Player of the Week, after hitting .407 with five homers and 12 RBIs in the week. Adell gave the Angels the lead with four of his homers. For the season, Adell has a team-leading 35 home runs, to go with 94 RBIs, both of which are his career-highs. …
First baseman Nolan Schanuel (left wrist bone bruise) said he was going to attempt to hit some flips on Monday. Schanuel, who has been out for two weeks, had hoped to be back by now, but his progress has been slow. “I know he’s a little frustrated today,” Montgomery said. “I could sense that talking to him. He’s just kind of grinding through. Take it step by step without irritating what’s bothering him, and in the same breath testing it.” …
Left-hander Tyler Anderson (oblique) conceded when the Angels put him on the injured list last week that he was unlikely to make it back by the end of the season, but he was throwing on Monday. …
Left-hander Sam Aldegheri will be promoted from Double-A to Triple-A when Salt Lake returns to action on Tuesday. Aldegheri had a 3.72 ERA in 23 starts at Double-A, including a 2.26 ERA in his last nine starts. …
Minor leaguer Rio Foster, who was hospitalized after being in a serious car accident on Friday, has improved. Montgomery would not give details other than saying it was “slightly encouraging news.” Foster has already undergone brain surgery and he remains in critical condition, according to information provided on a GoFundMe page created to raise money for his care.
UP NEXT
Twins (RHP Zebby Matthews, 4-4, 4.73 ERA) at Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks, 6-9, 4.81 ERA), Tuesday, 6:38 p.m., FDSN West, 830 AM