Juan

Lagares

Spectacular defense made Lagares a nice regular for a little while after he debuted with the Mets in 2013, but after his best season got him a Gold Glove in 2014, injuries began to take a toll and he just didn’t hit enough to remain a regular. He wound up at .250/.291/.360 with 31 homers in 850 games over 10 big-league seasons. He briefly played in Korea in 2022, but since then, he’d only played winter ball for Aguilas in his native Dominican Republic.

Lagares will make $495,000 over the remainder of the season in Korea. The 33-year-old outfielder was released by the Angels back in late June after hitting just .183/.210/.250 with zero homers and zero steals across 62 plate appearances this season in the majors.

The 33-year-old outfielder was brutal in 62 plate appearances with the Angels, slashing a pitiful .183/.210/.250 with no homers, no steals and a 15/2 K/BB ratio. He passed through waivers unclaimed though and decided against reporting to Triple-A Salt Lake, as he’d rather take his chances on the open market. He’ll have to settle for a minor league deal wherever he winds up.

To say that the 33-year-old outfielder struggled during his time with the Angels would be a massive understatement. He slashed a paltry .183/.210/.250 with zero homers, zero RBI, zero stolen bases and a 15/2 K/BB ratio over 62 plate appearances. There’s a chance that another team desperate for outfield depth could place a waiver claim on him, but the likelihood is that he winds up back at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Trout was pulled from the game on Tuesday with left groin tightness, and didn’t play on Wednesday. He is listed on the lineup card, so the Angels don’t appear to be making a roster move at this point. Juan Lagares gets the start in center in Trout’s place.

Lagares was the lone Angels batter to finish with multiple knocks in the loss. The veteran outfielder is hitting .286/.333/.357 without a homer or RBI in 28 at-bats. He came up from Triple-A Salt Lake near the end of May and holds no fantasy intrigue.

Lagares creates some depth in the outfield, which is needed with Taylor Ward out with a neck/shoulder injury. The outfielder is starting in right field on Thursday, but has a history of being an ineffective hitter. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere.

The 33-year-old outfielder returns to the Angels after playing in 112 games for them at the big league level in 2021 -- slashing a paltry .236/.266/.372 with six homers, 38 RBI and one stolen base. He’ll report to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Lagares sustained a back injury in the seventh inning of Friday’s victory over the Mariners and will likely only be available as a defensive replacement, if necessary, for Saturday’s pivotal showdown. The Angels are down to one healthy outfielder, rookie Brandon Marsh, on the active roster with two games remaining in the regular season.

Lagares kicked off the scoring in this one, sending an inside fastball from Kolby Allard into the left field stands in the bottom of the third. It was the 32-year-old’s fourth home run of 2021. He’s never had much fantasy appeal and that has not changed this season.