With Rengifo out, Halos counting on youth at top of the order

ANAHEIM -- The injuries keep on coming for the Angels, as infielder Luis Rengifo was the latest key player to land on the injured list, getting placed on the 10-day IL before Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Mets with right wrist inflammation.

It’s the second time Rengifo has been placed on the IL with the injury, as he was also out from July 5-23 before returning. But he left the game after feeling something on a swing on Wednesday and again on Friday upon returning to the lineup.

It’s just the latest injury for the Angels, who announced on Wednesday that superstar Mike Trout will miss the rest of the season after re-tearing the meniscus in his left knee, while veteran third baseman Anthony Rendon landed on the injured list on Tuesday with low back tightness.

It led the Angels to go with their youngsters atop the lineup on Saturday against the Mets, as first baseman Nolan Schanuel, 22, served as the leadoff hitter while shortstop Zach Neto, 23, hit second and catcher Logan O’Hoppe, 24, batted third. Neto made the most of the opportunity, going 2-for-3 with a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning to lead the Angels to victory at Angel Stadium.

“Well, we lost everybody so now we have to shuffle the lineup around and see who can handle what,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “To be honest with you, Neto came into my office and told me the next time the No. 2 spot opened up, he wanted it. And I couldn’t deny him. If I didn’t put him in there, I probably would’ve caught a lot of flak.”

Neto hadn’t hit second since late April but wanted a crack at it with Rengifo out. He sparked a rally in the first, drawing a walk and scoring on an RBI single from Kevin Pillar and added an RBI single in the fifth. But it was his go-ahead three-run blast in the seventh that proved to be the most critical hit of the game.

“It felt pretty good,” Neto said. “I had trouble breathing and felt like I pulled my oblique running the bases but it was a good feeling. I was up there battling my tail off and I was able to get a pitch to drive and be the big-time hero for us.”

With Rengifo placed on the injured list, infielder Charles Leblanc was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake. Leblanc, who played in 48 games with the Marlins in 2022, was hitting .262/.382/.472 with 12 homers, 17 doubles and 48 RBIs in 81 games in the Minors this season.

LeBlanc figures to be a backup infielder with Brandon Drury mostly seeing time at third base and Michael Stefanic at second base. But Rendon has been hitting in the cages without any issues and the Angels remain hopeful he could return as soon as Tuesday in New York against the Yankees.

But the Angels don’t know how long Rengifo will be out just yet, as he’s still undergoing testing. He said his injury wasn’t as significant as the first one that landed him on the injured list last month, but it’s not a good sign that he re-injured it.

“I just feel some soreness in his wrist and I want to play,” Rengifo said. “But I just follow what the [trainers] say and go with that.”

Rengifo, 27, has had a breakout year offensively, hitting .300/.374/.417 with six homers, 13 doubles and 24 stolen bases in 78 games. But he's had trouble staying on the field, as this is his third stint on the IL. He also missed 10 games in early May with a viral infection.

Rengifo, who remains under team control through 2025, was also a trade candidate but ultimately wasn’t moved before Tuesday’s Trade Deadline. He’s been pleased with his production this season and said he’s tried to stay optimistic despite dealing with injuries and other outside noise.

“I want to be available to play and help the team win,” Rengifo said. “I want to be a part of this team and play every single day. But you have to stay positive.”

With Trout, Rendon and Rengifo out, Washington said he plans to lean heavily on the club’s youngsters down the stretch. He liked the fact that Neto came into his office on Thursday and told him he wanted to move up from his usual No. 7 or No. 8 spot in the lineup. Schanuel has been leading off again with Rendon on the IL, while O’Hoppe has been seeing more time in key spots in the order, including serving as cleanup hitter three times and hitting third on Friday and Saturday.

“Just keep growing,” Washington said. “I want them to get better every month. We’ll see where it goes from here. But from the beginning of February to now, we’ve seen a lot of improvement.”