The Los Angeles Angels have benched third baseman Yoan Moncada for his third consecutive game on Thursday against the Athletics in Anaheim, signaling a reduced role for the slumping infielder.
Moncada is dealing with a lingering knee injury that has affected his swing, particularly when batting right-handed. According to MLB.
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com, he was left out of the starting lineup on Wednesday and Thursday after hitting just . 191/.
310/. 300 through 129 plate appearances this season.
Manager Kurt Suzuki decided to increase playing time for Vaughn Grissom at third base. "That's the route that we're going to go," Suzuki said.
"I talked to him and he knows what he has to do. He's been working every day.
He's been in the cage. He's been taking ground balls."
Knee Injury Hinders Performance
The Angels signed Moncada to a $4 million contract shortly before spring training, hoping to replicate his previous productivity.
However, Moncada revealed that a right knee injury sustained in 2025 prevents him from pushing off effectively when batting right-handed.
"I can't push," Moncada said.
He has gone 1-for-21 with 12 strikeouts while batting right-handed this season, and his left-handed swing yields a .
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690 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
Despite the struggles, Moncada remains positive about his left-handed hitting. "I feel great left-handed," he said.
"Things are not going my way, but I feel great."
Suzuki emphasized that the situation is fluid. "We're going to need everybody.
Right now, this is where we're at. I'm not saying it's going to be like this the rest of the year.
It might change. It might not."
In other team news, left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz threw a bullpen session on Thursday as he recovers from elbow inflammation.
"That's a good sign," Suzuki said. "That means he's feeling good."
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Relief pitcher Ben Joyce remains in Arizona recovering from shoulder surgery but has not resumed throwing after setbacks in his minor league rehab assignments.
