Moore nearing return to Halos after strong rehab game

ANAHEIM -- Top prospect Christian Moore, who has been out since July 2 with a left thumb sprain, is nearing a return after beginning a rehab assignment with Single-A Inland Empire on Wednesday.

Moore, ranked as the Angels’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 46 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, played seven innings at second base and went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk at the plate. Moore initially injured himself on a diving play at second base in Atlanta in early July but resumed baseball activities over the weekend. There’s no official timetable for his return but he could be back at some point during the Angels' upcoming three-game series against the White Sox if everything continues to go well.

“It’s hard for me to actually put a timetable on that,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said before Wednesday’s game. “A lot of it's going to depend on him getting his timing, how he feels, how he recovers. It’s pretty straightforward, but he's got some room here to do what he needs.”

Moore, 22, was called up for the first time in his career on June 13 and hit .189/.302/.396 with three homers, a triple and eight RBIs in 18 games before landing on the injured list. Moore, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, had a flair for the dramatic, including tripling for his first hit at Yankee Stadium on June 16 and hitting two homers, including a walk-off blast against the Red Sox on June 24.

With Moore out of action, Luis Rengifo has been seeing most of the time at second base, especially since Yoán Moncada returned from the injured list on July 8 and has been seeing regular time at third base.

The Angels acted as buyers on Wednesday, acquiring relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García from the Nationals for lefty Jake Eder and Double-A first baseman Sam Brown. But they could still look to move Rengifo or Moncada if they get the right offer because both are impending free agents. Moore is expected to be the starting second baseman when he returns.