Wade

Meckler

The Angels designated Meckler for assignment last week after claiming Kaleb Ort on waivers. Meckler was unclaimed, so he will remain in the Angels’ organization and have a chance for at-bats during the season after he hit .287/.390/.370 in Triple-A last year.

The Angels claimed Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Yankees and needed to free up a 40-man roster spot, so Meckler was the odd man out. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Giants at the beginning of January after hitting .287/.390/.370 in Triple-A in 2025. He should get a shot to prove himself in spring training somewhere.

Meckler spent most of last season at Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .287/.390/.370. He’s a left-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions and still has minor league options. That will make him valuable outfield depth for the Angels.

Meckler gets the boot from the 40-man roster after the Giants made the signing of Adrian Houser official. Meckler will hit the waiver wire, and a team looking for outfield depth could make a claim. If not, he likely heads to Triple-A to begin 2026.

It’s possible the Giants will give Meckler a shot at the highest level again with Jerar Encarnacion sidelined until late May following wrist surgery. The 24-year-old is an extremely patient hitters and rarely strikes out. Those contact skills didn’t translate to immediate success in the majors back in 2023, but he’s deserving of another shot soon.

No real surprises here. Beck has a chance to make starts for the Giants in 2025, but was never going to make the Opening Day rotation. Meckler will likely be a bench option at some point this summer for San Francisco.

Meckler ended up missing a little over a week while dealing with a neck strain and also entering the concussion protocol. The 24-year-old will have a less less than two weeks to prove he’s worthy of being a bench bat to open 2025.

Meckler will be out of action until he can clear the protocol, and the 24-year-old will obviously need to get over his strained neck before returning to action as well. The outfielder is competing for a bench spot with the Giants, but a trip to the injured list is obviously a possibility to begin 2025, as well.

Meckler struggled with a wrist injury over the early part of the season, but since rejoining Sacramento on Aug. 1, he’s hit .312/.358/.544 with six homers in 148 plate appearances. It’d probably take an injury to get him a look in the majors at this point, but depending on what happens this winter, he could be in the mix for a spot in the Giants outfield next spring.

Meckler, who made his major league debut with the Giants last season, wasn’t viewed as a candidate to make the team this spring, but given the team’s outfield injuries, he’d probably be up now if he were healthy. Instead, he’s yet to play this year and probably won’t be a major league option until the second half.