Angels Select Wade Meckler, Donovan Walton
The Angels introduced that they’ve chosen the outfielder contracts Wade Meckler and infielder Donovan Walton. They will take the locations of outfielder Josh Lowe and infielder Yoan Moncada. Lowe has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake whereas Moncada has been positioned on the 10-day injured record with proper knee irritation. The Halos got here into the day with one open 40-man spot after outrighting Alek Manoah earlier this week. They opened one other by transferring left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the 60-day IL.
Meckler, 26, spent his whole profession with the Giants till lately. The Angels claimed him off waivers in January however then outrighted him a couple of weeks later. He began this yr with Triple-A Salt Lake however struggled in 5 video games, so the Halos despatched him right down to Double-A Rocket City. He has been mashing for the Trash Pandas, with a .343/.449/.525 line. That is partly as a consequence of a .395 batting common on balls in play however his matching stroll and strikeout charges of 16% are each very sturdy figures.
Prior to becoming a member of the Angels, Meckler obtained a really temporary main league debut with the Giants in 2023. He hit simply .232/.328/.250 in 64 plate appearances. As a prospect, his profile indicated he had a stable ground because of his pace and protection. His offense was and is extra questionable. He has usually had an excellent contact method with out a ton of energy. He has 1,393 minor league plate appearances in his profession with a robust 14.2% stroll fee and 16.6% strikeout fee however solely 21 dwelling runs in that point.
With Meckler placing up good numbers on the plate these days, the Angels will see if he can translate any of that to the large leagues. At worst, he ought to be capable of run the ball down and steal a couple of bases, though whether or not he can produce from the batter’s field shall be extra of a query. If it would not work out, he does nonetheless have an possibility and might be simply despatched again right down to the minors.
The Halos have had a main outfield of Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Lowe this yr, with guys like Jorge Soler, Adam Frazier and Jose Siri additionally chipping in. Trout and Adell ought to nonetheless be in there recurrently however the different guys in that cluster might maybe be competing to take a few of the taking part in time that has opened up with Lowe not on the roster.
Walton, 32 subsequent week, has been a part-time main leaguer for fairly some time however in matches and begins. He debuted in 2019 and this can technically be his seventh massive league season however he has appeared in solely 72 video games. In his 214 plate appearances, he has a .172/.223/.298 batting line. Although he hasn’t executed a lot with the bat, he has at the very least supplied defensive versatility, with expertise on the three infield spots to the left of first base in addition to left area.
His offense has been much better within the minors. In 1,647 Triple-A plate appearances in his profession, he has a robust .281/.372/.439 line. That features a .282/.429/.481 line this yr, after signing a minor league take care of the Halos within the offseason. Even within the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, that line interprets to a 128 wRC+.
Walton offers the Angels one other lefty bat for his or her infield. Righties Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza are at the moment getting a good period of time at second and third base, so Walton might maybe complement these two, together with lefty Adam Frazier.
Moncada has been scuffling whereas battling a knee damage this yr, placing up a .189/.308/.297 line. A visit to the IL might permit him to reset however it’s additionally attainable he is going through an extended absence. Surgery on that knee is a risk, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Time will inform how a lot time he must miss. For now, his absence opens up third base time for the aforementioned cluster of infielders.
As for Lowe, this transfer is not stunning along with his present numbers, however it’s fairly notable within the bigger context. Back in 2023, he hit 20 dwelling runs for the Rays and stole 32 bases. He hit .292/.335/.500 for a wRC+ of 130. FanGraphs credited him with 3.4 wins above alternative that yr.
Unfortunately, he is been on a downward trajectory since then. In 2024, his line dropped to .241/.302/.391, resulting in a 98 wRC+. Another drop got here in 2025, as he put up a .220/.283/.366 line and 79 wRC+. The Angels took a shot on a bounceback, buying Lowe in a three-team trade that despatched pitchers Brock Burke and Chris Clark out of city. That transfer hasn’t panned out for the Halos in any respect, with Lowe having hit .184/.226/.320 this yr. A .220 BABIP is not serving to however his 4.5% stroll fee and 29.1% strikeout fee are each terrible figures.
The Angels will attempt to get him again on monitor in Salt Lake. Once he spends 20 days within the minor, this shall be his remaining possibility season and he shall be out of choices in 2027. Either method, he is trending in direction of a non-tender. He has already certified for arbitration and is making $2.6MM this yr.
Kikuchi landed on the 15-day IL in early May with shoulder irritation. Shortly thereafter, the Halos introduced that he could be shut down for 3 to 4 weeks earlier than ramping again up once more. His 60-day depend is retroactive to that preliminary IL placement, so he’ll technically be eligible for reinstatement in early July. Whether he can get wholesome by then stays to be seen.
Prior to the official announcement, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register relayed that Meckler and Walton have been within the lineup with Lowe and Moncada not on the lineup card. Moncada then instructed Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune that he was happening the injured record.
