LOS ANGELES, CA: Due to discomfort in his right wrist, infielder Luis Rengifo has been placed on the 10-day injured list by the Angels, effective July 4. In tandem, the Halos placed right-hander Andrew Wantz on the 60-day disabled list and chose to choose the contract of Triple-A infielder Keston Hiura.
Following what appeared to be an injury sustained on a swing, Rengifo was taken out of Wednesday's game. According to Orange County Register reporter Jeff Fletcher on X, the club reported that he was experiencing some wrist pain and planned to get imaging.
X-rays revealed no break, but it appears that the inflammation and soreness are sufficient that the club will place him on the sidelines for at least a short spell.
Being one of the easiest trade candidates this summer, it will be intriguing to watch how he develops over the next several weeks. One of the few teams that sells well this year is the Angels, who are 36–50.
Rengifo will make $4.4MM here in 2024 and will only have one year of club control remaining after this one; another run through arbitration is scheduled. Since the Halos are thought to have a subpar farming method, it is unlikely that they will be competitive by the next season.
Although he was a reliable player for the Halos the previous two seasons, it looks like he has improved this year. Over 2022 and 2023, he slashed .264/.315/.436; the productivity translated to a 108 wRC+.
He now has a line of .315/.358/.442 and a 127 wRC+ here in 2024. Rengifo is up to .349 this year, but his batting average on balls in play was .289 in the 2022–2023 season. At least some of that is probably just chance.
Nevertheless, this is his third season in a row that he has scored more than average. Having played all three outfield positions and all three infield positions to the left of first base, he also offers a great deal of defensive versatility.
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