Zach

Neto

The move ostensibly ends Neto’s season as he heads to the shelf for some extra time to rest and recover after missing three consecutive games last week with a lingering left hand issue. The 24-year-old power/speed fantasy contributor has put together a phenomenal age-24 campaign, smashing a career-high 26 round-trippers and also chipping in 26 thefts over just 128 contests. The hope here for the Angels and fantasy managers is that he won’t require surgery heading into the offseason. It’ll be rookie Denzer Guzman taking over at shortstop to close out the regular season.

Neto continues to deal with lingering left wrist soreness and it’s impossible to rule out the possibility of a trip to the injured list at this juncture. The 24-year-old fantasy standout hasn’t undergone any additional imaging to determine the severity of the issue yet. It’ll be rookie Denzer Guzman making his second consecutive start at shortstop in his absence. There should be some much-needed clarity on his status prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Brewers.

It’s the second straight game that Neto has missed due to soreness in his left wrist. He is considered day-to-day and is expected to be available off the bench in this one. Denzer Guzman will start in his place at shortstop and bat seventh against Bryan Woo and the M’s.

Neto is dealing with the lingering aftereffects of being hit by a pitch nearly three weeks ago as his left wrist continues to be an issue. There’s zero reason for the Angels to jeopardize their 24-year-old franchise cornerstone’s long-term future, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he received a couple additional days off to put the issue to bed.

It sounds like Neto may have injured his hand on a swing during Thursday’s ballgame, though we have yet to hear anything official from the Angels. He should be considered day-to-day for the time being. Oswald Peraza will start in his place at shortstop and will bat sixth for the Halos against Luis Castillo and the M’s on Friday evening in Seattle.

Neto just missed a second homer in the sixth, with James Outman catching the ball at the very top of the wall in center. With 26, Neto is tied with Francisco Lindor for second in homers among shortstops. Willy Adames leads the way at 28. If Neto can join Jo Adell and Taylor Ward at 30, the Angels will have three players reach that mark for just the third time in franchise history. Garret Anderson, Troy Glaus, Tim Salmon and Mo Vaughn did it in 2000, and Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo pulled it off in 2012.

It’s a routine off day for Neto, who rarely gets a breather, amid a tough 10-for-56 stretch at the dish over his last 15 games. The 24-year-old shortstop has launched a career-high 24 round-trippers and also chipped in 24 thefts through 123 contests.

Neto led off the game with a double off of Patrick Cobin and advanced to third with only one out, but the Halos were unable to cash him in. He then connected on a 396-foot (105.1 mph EV) solo shot off of Danny Coulombe that got the Angels on the board in the ninth inning. The 24-year-old shortstop has been unbelievable for fantasy purposes this season, slashing .268/.324/.487 with 23 long balls, 57 RBI, 77 runs scored and 23 stolen bases over his first 490 plate appearances. He’ll surely be a top 50 selection in all fantasy drafts next March and may even climb into the top 25 overall.

The home run was on the first pitch of the game off of Jacob deGrom. It was Neto’s 22nd home run of the season and seventh in the month of August. The 24-year-old has battled some injuries this season, but he has more than proved that last year’s breakout was not a fluke. He will finish close to a 30/30 season despite missing games and should be a popular draft target in 2026 drafts.

Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery told reporters Neto is fine after initial X-rays came back negative. The 24-year-old shortstop will likely require a few days off to allow the pain and swelling to subside, but appears to have avoided major injury after being hit by a pitch on the left wrist during Wednesday’s game against the Reds. There should be an update on his status prior to Friday’s series opener against the Cubs.