Who's holding down the fort in Halos' middle infield?

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels improved their infield depth by acquiring veterans Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury this offseason, but they opted not to bring in an everyday shortstop.

Los Angeles will instead mix and match at second base and shortstop this season, as Urshela and Drury have been taking grounders at short this spring to improve their versatility. The Halos also have several internal options in the middle infield, including David Fletcher, Luis Rengifo, Andrew Velazquez and Livan Soto.

Fletcher, who will play for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, is set to start at short in the Cactus League opener against the Mariners on Saturday, while Rengifo, who is playing for Team Venezuela, will start at second.

Fletcher, Rengifo and Urshela (Team Colombia) are all participating in the Classic, which could complicate things, but here’s a look at the club’s options in the middle infield:

David Fletcher
Fletcher, 28, is coming off an injury-plagued 2022 season that saw him undergo core surgery in May, but he is fully healthy this spring. Manager Phil Nevin said Fletcher is noticeably stronger than last year, and he believes he can be a productive hitter again like he was in '19 and ’20. Fletcher, who signed a five-year deal worth $26.5 million before the ’21 season, remains under contract through '25, with options for ’26 and ’27. He has the defensive skills to play short or second, but he will have to prove he can be effective offensively with his contact-orientated approach at the plate.

Luis Rengifo
Rengifo, 25, had a breakout season in 2022, hitting .264/.294/.429 with 17 homers and 52 RBIs in 127 games. He mostly saw action at second base, playing 99 games there, compared to 19 at shortstop, 39 at third base and six in the outfield. The Angels believe Rengifo can handle shortstop defensively, but he profiles better at second base. He’s done a lot of work to improve his throwing accuracy, and the switch-hitter is expected to get plenty of playing time because of his production last season. He hits lefties better than righties, which could come into play for matchup reasons.

Gio Urshela
Urshela’s best defensive position is third base, and he’ll see some time there when Anthony Rendon needs a rest, but he’s also expected to see action at shortstop, second base and first base. Urshela, who was acquired in a November 18 trade with Minnesota, has played 548 career games at third and 43 at shortstop, but he trimmed down a bit this offseason to improve his agility. The 31-year-old is coming off a strong year with the Twins, hitting .285/.338/.429 with 13 homers and 64 RBIs in 144 games. He has even splits -- with a .763 OPS against right-handers and a .774 OPS against lefties last year -- so he doesn’t need to be part of a platoon.

Brandon Drury
The Angels signed Drury to a two-year deal worth $17 million on Dec. 22 after he put together a solid season with the Reds and Padres, batting .263/.320/.492 with 28 homers and 87 RBIs in 138 games. Like Urshela, his best defensive position is third base, but he has plenty of experience at second base and in the outfield. The 30-year-old has made 211 career starts at third, 192 at second base and 127 in the outfield. He’s made just 11 appearances at shortstop, but the Halos have been getting him some work at the position this spring just in case. But Drury is more likely to see time at second base or to platoon with the left-handed-hitting Jared Walsh at first base. Drury excelled against lefties last year, with a .955 OPS compared to a .756 OPS against right-handers.

Andrew Velazquez
Velazquez, 28, is the best defender of the group and played in 125 games with the Angels last season, including 124 games at short. But he struggled offensively, hitting .196 with nine homers and 28 RBIs. Velazquez, though, said he worked to retool his swing this offseason and will remain a switch-hitter after briefly trying to hit only right-handed late last season. He’s also healthy after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in September.

Livan Soto
Soto, 22, is a wild card, as he excelled in his first taste of the Majors, hitting .400 with one homer and nine RBIs in 18 games in September. He also fared well at his natural position of shortstop and has put himself on the radar. But he’s likely to start with Triple-A Salt Lake and will have to prove last year’s production wasn’t a fluke. He’s a career .247/.338/.324 hitter in the Minors.