NEW YORK — The Angels continue to have a mixed bag of imperfect pieces they are trying to wedge into right field while Mike Trout remains locked into the DH spot.
Jorge Soler, who is primarily a DH, has been playing most of the time in right field lately, but on Wednesday he came up with a stiff back. That led Manager Ron Washington to put Luis Rengifo into right.
Rengifo has played 32 games in right in his major league career, but for only three innings since 2023.
“The reports I got from the organization are that Rengifo can play right field,” Washington said. “If he’s ever going to play right field, this is the place to put him.”
The short porch in right in Yankee Stadium means there is less ground to cover in right than in other ballparks.
LaMonte Wade Jr. has played more right field, even though he’s still primarily a first baseman. Washington said he didn’t want the left-handed hitting Wade to start on Wednesday because the Yankees were starting a lefty.
As for Soler, Washington said there was nothing wrong with his back on Tuesday. Soler has also been dealing with groin tightness in the past couple of weeks, but Washington said that “hasn’t been an issue” lately.
“We’re going to be day-to-day on (his back),” Washington said. “We weren’t going to push it.”
Whatever the problem with Soler, his bat hasn’t been as productive as the Angels would like.
Soler, 33, has hit .177 with a .508 OPS over his last 38 games. The slump began just after his 197th career home run, and he’s still sitting on No. 199.
“I still believe in Jorge Soler,” said Washington, who was with Soler in Atlanta. “If he gives us (production) the rest of the year, I’m good with that too. I won’t look at what happened earlier.”
Once Trout is well enough to go to right field – and there’s no timetable for that – the Angels will have more lineup options. Not only will Soler be able to DH, but they could use Logan O’Hoppe at DH when he’s not catching.
NEWMAN’S ROLE
Kevin Newman, who signed a $2.75 million deal to provide the Angels with infield depth, has endured a disappointing season. Newman was hitting .191 with a .423 OPS in 31 games. Last year, Newman hit .278 with a .686 OPS in 111 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Washington has been giving him opportunities lately to start against left-handed pitchers, including on Wednesday, because he’s trying to get him going. Newman’s career OPS against lefties is .723.
“Baseball is difficult,” Newman said. “It’s hard to get going when you have limited opportunities, but the same time, that’s kind of my role here. There’s no point sitting around and complaining about it. It is what it is. Every opportunity I get just trying to embrace it, and help the team win however I can.”
Washington said he was a role player throughout his major league career, and he still managed to be productive.
“I did it for 10 years,” Washington said. “I played once every two, three weeks. I got me a single, and for the next three weeks that I sat on the bench after that single, I had a smile on my face.”
Newman, 31, and Scott Kingery, 31, were both in the lineup on Wednesday, with Newman at third base and Kingery at second. Washington said rookie Christian Moore would be back in the lineup for Thursday’s day game. He said he preferred the 22-year-old Moore to play in the day game instead of the older players.
NOTES
Left-hander Reid Detmers threw the hardest pitch of his major league career on Tuesday night, hitting 98.6 mph. Detmers’ velocity has gradually increased throughout his time in the bullpen this season. “It just felt like a normal day,” Detmers said on Wednesday. “I wasn’t trying to throw as hard, but I’ll take it.” …
O’Hoppe was in the lineup at catcher for the third straight game, even though Washington said on Tuesday that Travis d’Arnaud would catch Jack Kochanowicz on Wednesday. It marked the first time since April 24-26 that O’Hoppe caught three straight games. O’Hoppe doubled on Tuesday night, his first extra-base hit in more than two weeks. …
The Angels signed right-hander Shaun Anderson to a minor-league deal again. Anderson has been designated for assignment twice this season, elected free agency both times, and ultimately re-signed with the Angels.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson, 2-4, 4.44 ERA) at Yankees (LHP Carlos Rodon, 8-5, 3.01 ERA), Thursday, 10:05 a.m. PT, FDSN West, 830 AM