The Angels announced today that they have selected the contract of infielder Chad Stevens. He’ll take the active roster spot of infielder Christian Moore, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left thumb sprain. The 40-man roster already had a vacancy due to right-hander Héctor Neris being designated for assignment recently. The Halos also announced today that Neris has been released.
Moore just got his first big league call a few weeks ago. He has taken 64 plate appearances thus far. He has struck out in 31.3% of them but also drawn walks at a 12.5% pace and hit three home runs. He tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he hopes he’s only out of action for a couple of weeks. If that comes to pass, he might not actually miss too many games, with the All-Star break just over a week away.
For now, Stevens will draw into the club’s infield mix. Now 26, Stevens was an 11th-round pick of the Astros in 2021. He was released in May of last year and signed with the Angels. He’s never really been a top prospect but is having a good season. In 72 games for Triple-A Salt Lake this year, he has 14 home runs and a .307/.383/.542 batting line. Even in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, that translates to a 125 wRC+. In addition to that offense, Stevens has swiped nine bags and has lined up defensively at all four infield spots and left field.
In addition to Moore, the Angels also have Yoán Moncada, Anthony Rendon and Chris Taylor on the injured list. Zach Neto has been banged up a bit and Jorge Soler just came off the IL. Neto is playing shortstop with Luis Rengifo at third and Nolan Schanuel at first. The Halos have Stevens at second tonight and perhaps he’ll get some run there for a while, though Kevin Newman is another possibility.
As for Neris, once he was designated for assignment, it was basically assured that he would hit the open market. He has a 7.80 earned run average this year, meaning there wouldn’t be much trade interest. As a veteran with years of experience, he has the right to reject outright assignments. The Halos have skipped that formality and sent him more directly to free agency.
Saw Moore’s injury I hope he won’t need surgery it was quite gruesome. He is such a electric young player speedy recovery!
I thought that Kyren Paris would be called up to replace Moore.
Yeah it’s crazy they called kyren up for 1 game and sent him back down , seems once they saw him okay center field , they stopped playing him in the infield , he’ll he took at bats away from Jo Adell early in the season . They have definitely played the hot /cold game with kyren , I felt is was Ron Washington trying to give the melanated American ball players a chance , no Ron Washington , no kyren Paris , I am not a fan of ray Montgomery and his trash analytics , mr I got joe Maddon fired , and I might have caused Ron Washington to step away with a health issue !
Trying to give the melanated players a chance? What does that even mean?
Your take is so bad, why can’t you develop a better one.
Why is it wrong?
Moore was not very good this year, and who was the last competent second baseman or third baseman drafted and developed.
Glaus and Kendrick? We are not talking good, just competent.
The Angels have not drafted a replacement level 2b or 3B this century.
His take is 100% accurate. .
I’m optimistic about Neto and Moore up the middle… give it time
I’m happy with that. Moore has some tools. I like tools. It’s why I liked Adell.
What’s your take on Adell now? Has he finally figured it out?
Adell was rushed. I’ve never seen a player as mishandled as Adell.
I’m the wrong person to ask. I’ve always liked Adell. My opinion has a lot of bias in it.
He wasn’t rushed. He was destroying the minors in 2019 and since there was no 2020 MiLB season it was either MLB or nothing.
Fan, don’t respond to me if you won’t allow me to reply.
He didn’t play minor league ball and never played in a double deck park. He had 131 AAA ABs, with a sub 700 OPS+
I don’t need to go on….no wonder you block my reply, Your comments are idiotic.
Didn’t realize I had muted you. Let’s Talk.
What are you even going on about? Adell played at all 3 levels that summer (would you like the BB Ref or MiLB link?) and you’re trying to judge him on 131 abs while being 6 years younger the than the avg competition he face.
Try again but stop cherry picking stats and trying to make points on small sample sizes.
Adell looks pretty good right now.
Perhaps a better conversation would be is he truly breaking out? Will this last?
Did every minor leaguer get added to every teams 40 man roster , he was rushed and not given a full opportunity ! He always mashed in the minors , but he still had plenty to work on , Jo Adell is having a great season , hope he keeps it up , so glad to have Jo Adell and not that contract of Anthony Santander , so glad to have Jo Adell and not Mickey Moniak
Fans… I like talking, but your reply button doesn’t exist for me.
Adell, was not ready in 2020. There was no minor league games that year. I get why the Angels promoted him, but it was a Hail Mary. There was a great interview with him about why is was so horrid defensively. He couldn’t see the ball in a double deck stadium because he never played in a double deck stadium.
Also, his first five years in the major leagues, he got just over 1000 PAs. That’s insane. And they shuffled him between RF, LF, and CF. They treated him like a fifth outfielder instead of a prospect.
Finally, we all know he’s very talented, but he’s not an instinctive ball player.
I’ve never seen a player mishandled more than Adell.
Boston, I’ve always like Adel. He’s extremely talented. Intelligent, articulate, hard working. His dad was a professional athlete.
So I’m biased. I always think Adell is about to break out. I’ve been thinking that for five years.
Will, he didn’t mash in the minors. He only hit the floor running a couple of times. He was actually playing major league ball after a pretty bad year at AAA.
Even when all I said and done, his KRate at AAA was 30% and his OPS was 900, which is not mashing in the PCL.
He started off pretty bad, but got better every year at AAA.
All Angels prospects have been rushed. Schanuel, Neto, Moore, Adell, Detmers were all making the debuts at 21 or 22 yo. Whoever the Angels draft this year will also be rushed.
Adell was just slower to produce. If you think Adell should have been held in the minors until now can be argued, but completely unrealistic.
Adell is the only on the team over .800 OPS currently. It is great to see him finally produce. I don’t necessary blame it on being rushed. A lot of players in Adell’s position, top 3 overall prospect, will be rushed by any team. Some players can handle, some won’t Jo Adell has always had the tools and the worked hard to improve, but he only has one good month to show for it.
I think they should have stuck Adel at a position and left him there. Adel is not an instinctive baseball player, that has hurt him as well.
And when they did bring him up, they should have given him a very long leash.
Chad Stevens this year has a higher OPS than Adell did at AAA. Who thinks Stevens going to hit the floor running?
We are developing a good 2b right now. We just put him on the IL. This kid was taking at bats at the college World Series year ago.
Now look at him. There are 29 teams that would love to have a prospect like this
Maybe. He clearly wasn’t ready.
189 ave 31% KRate. Poor arm, but better with the glove than I thought he would be.
And I would hope EVERY team in baseball would love to have the number 8 pick in the Amateur Draft for nothing.
It’s the Angels highest pick this century.
You’re making that determination on 67 at-bats…
Okay then.
I gotta make the obligatory comment, even as an Angels fan. Who?
Apparently they’ve only been working Paris in CF in AAA (or mostly)
Stevens changed his stance and approach at the plate and its paying off with a much lower SO rate than he had in the upper minors in 2023-2024. Hopefully he can continue to hit for power for us until Moore comes off the IL.
Angels gave up on Kingery too quickly.
I assume this is trolling. Should have kept Timmy, right?
Nah , Scott had a small window of opportunity and couldn’t hit his way to a permanent bench role !
Chad Steven’s looks good
@Gold, I thought he looked good also. Only one game and the first time I’d seen him.