On May 27, the Angels placed 1st baseman Nolan Schanuel on the 10-day injured list with ankle inflammation after he missed the previous two games. Schanuel left Saturday’s game against the Rangers early after tweaking his ankle while stopping a wild throw to first.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, manager Kurt Suzuki said he doesn’t “think it’s that bad,” referring to the injury requiring an IL stint. Clearly, that ended up not being the case.
Per Jeff Fletcher, following Schanuel’s two missed games, he underwent an MRI on his ankle, which revealed ankle tendinitis.
The Angels selected the contract of infielder Nick Madrigal from Triple-A Salt Lake. At the same time, outfielder Matthew Lugo was designated for assignment, making these two the corresponding moves for the injured first baseman.
Who Will Take Schanuel’s Spot?
Currently, the Angels have infielder Vaughn Grissom filling in at first base. Grissom started the year on the IL after spraining his left wrist in spring training. Since being activated in mid-April, he has fought for playing time, splitting time at first, second, and third base.
Grissom batted .342 in April, playing 13 games, with 13 hits in 38 at-bats. With Yoán Moncada dealing with a lingering knee issue, Grissom had a successful April, but that success did not carry into May.
The 25-year-old went on to play 24 games and only hit .190 in 84 at-bats. Even as his bat has slowed, he has had some timely hitting, which has kept him in the lineup every day.
Suzuki has yet to try anyone else at the corner spot, but he has Nick Madrigal at his disposal. Madrigal, 29, is a former first-round draft pick who last played in the majors in 2024 with the Chicago Cubs.
He’s played in 38 minor league games, hitting .275 with a .719 OPS in 142 at-bats. While Madrigal has more experience playing at second, he is versatile and may see some time at the corner spot.
When Will Schanuel Return?
Since Schanuel’s exit, the team is 5-3 and has won back-to-back series for the first time this season. However, to add salt to the wound, star shortstop Zach Neto is also dealing with an injury. After a collision at home plate with Rays pitcher Ian Seymour in Saturday’s game, Neto has been dealing with whiplash and missed his first game of the year.
Neto’s injury leaves a middle infield spot to fill, stretching their bench thin. Leaving Grissom to take on the first base duties. While Neto is expected to return in the coming days, there is still no return date in mind for Schanuel.
Per Rhett Bollinger, Schanuel has taken some grounders and done some drills to test his ankle prior to the Halos’ first game against the Rockies, but he has yet to run at full speed. Schanuel was feeling confident after today’s progress and said his ankle is feeling better.
The Halos will certainly miss Nolan Schanuel’s presence in the lineup every day; however, this gives some of the younger guys on the roster a better chance to prove themselves.
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