Angel’s first unfortunate injury update of the offseason doesn’t even involve Mike Trout

Not much went according to plan for Ron Washington during his first season at the helm of the Los Angeles Angels. 99 losses tells the story pretty well. That doesn’t mean there weren’t any wins. One of them was the development, especially in terms of strength, of 23-year-old short stop Zach Neto.

Unfortunately, Neto (one of the ballclub’s most durable players in 2024) may start to rehab next season. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, Neto underwent shoulder surgery to repair a problem that started after a slide late in the campaign. The club’s general manager Perry Minasian said this could jeopardize his availability for the start of the 2025 season.

It only increases health problems. Right now, the Halos are currently missing their top two home run-limiting starters and two of their four strongest on-base threats, according to CBS Sports injury information.

It’s been 40 days since the Angels’ season ended. The LA side opted to take a wait-and-see approach before proceeding with surgery. Neto saw his second year as a big leaguer end in the fourth inning on September 26 at Southside of Chicago after sliding into second base, causing him to miss the final series against the Texas Rangers.

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The Miami native was as reliable as they come last season for the dreadful West Coast ball club. Neto appeared in 155 games and finished second on the team, behind only left fielder Tyler Ward. He posted an fWAR of 3.0, good for sixth among American League shortstops. His slugging percentage rose from .377 to .443 while he registered 23 home runs – the most per shortstop in a single season in franchise history. It was a record that had been waiting to be broken since 1970.

Add to that the fact that he showed off that clutch gene on numerous occasions. Neto’s .879 OPS was the highest graded by an Angel in late/close games in 2024. And honestly, it’s not even close. He was a man who gave Angel fans hope in a year where once again the two highest-paid players, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, missed significant time due to injuries.

We cannot overstate Neto’s importance to the Angels. Both with his arm and with his bat. Living in Los Angeles, you don’t want to rush him, but at the same time you need to understand his importance to long-term success. What he did in 2024 as the third-youngest player to join Washington’s team was hopefully just a taste of what his full potential looks like.

Jack López, the former 16th-round pick of the Kansas City Royals, was the only other player to serve as shortstop for Los Angeles for more than five games under Washington. Another thing to note is the fact that the SoCal squad added infielder Scott Kingery from the Philadelphia Phillies on November 1 in exchange for cash. He represents another depth option in the absence of Neto, who spent all of last year at the Triple-A level. Kingery played 106 short games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2024, while collecting 25 bombs as a team leader.

The hope is that Neto’s rehabilitation will go according to plan and that he can pick up where he left off at the end of September. If not, this could very well be a major setback for a club that hasn’t made the postseason in a decade.