Ron Washington to remain on medical leave through end of season
This browser does not support the video element.
ANAHEIM -- The Angels will have a different voice guiding them the rest of the 2025 season, as manager Ron Washington will stay on medical leave for the rest of the year and Ray Montgomery will take over as interim manager. Ryan Goins, who was previously the club’s infield coach, will serve as bench coach.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian made the announcement before Friday’s 15-9 loss to the Nationals at Angel Stadium. The Angels didn’t specifically say what Washington’s medical issue is but Minasian sounded optimistic that Washington’s issue was caught early and Washington knows what he has to do to get healthy.
“Obviously, this is a tough day for me,” Minasian said. “I look at it two ways, right? It’s unfortunate that he won't manage again this year. He's a unique personality. And in my opinion, and I think a lot of people's opinion, the game of baseball is 1,000 times better when Ron Washington's a part of it on a daily basis. But the fortunate part is he knows what he needs to do and from a health standpoint, he knows how to get better.”
Washington, 73, initially stepped away from his managerial duties on June 20 due to health concerns. He was at the ballpark from Friday to Sunday, watching the games from a suite but didn’t attend their three-game sweep over the Red Sox from Monday to Wednesday. He’s remained in contact with Minasian, Montgomery and the coaching staff and has stayed optimistic throughout the process.
“He's in good spirits,” Minasian said. “He understands what needs to be done. I'm not going to go into details. That's for him to tell if he decides to. But for me, I'm excited for him to do what he needs to do. Forget about the baseball stuff, just get healthy because he's a great human being.”
This browser does not support the video element.
It marks the first time Montgomery will get a lengthy stint as a manager but he’s been with the organization since the 2021, including as a bench coach since ‘22. He’s plenty familiar with the club and doesn’t believe it will be a tough transition.
“It’s obviously tough news and the focus is on Wash and making sure he gets what he needs right now,” Montgomery said. “Honestly, it's like a transactional piece. I'm looking at it as we have a game to play today. A week ago, when this started, we had the same mindset, and nothing's really changed. And again, relative to what I was doing prior, it's a lot of the same stuff.”
Angels players were told about Washington during a meeting roughly four hours before the game. It was tough news to hear for the players but they said they’ll be playing with Washington on their minds the rest of the season.
“Obviously, we want him here, but we want him to get better,” said superstar Mike Trout. “So just praying for him, thinking about him, keep playing strong for him, and hope he comes out of it great. It's tough to lose your manager like that but it’s just bigger in baseball.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Shortstop Zach Neto was particularly close with Washington, as the two bantered back and forth before games and were inseparable in the dugout during games. Neto called Washington a father-figure and said it’ll be strange not having him around every day.
“He got me when I was fresh, my first full year,” Neto said. “And I've learned a lot. It's been a lot of ups and downs, but a lot of learning lessons in between those, and just being able to become a man. Owning up to my mistakes and just being able to flush it and keep moving on. I think he’s definitely helped me.”
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe said he’ll also miss the banter and advice he received from Washington on a daily basis. But he said he’ll continue to reach out to Washington and is hopeful he’ll be able to return to baseball sooner than later.
“It's more than baseball when you hear the news,” O’Hoppe said. “We just hope he's healthy and getting better. I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but we don't care about any of the baseball side of it right now. We hope he's all right and gets the help he needs. But he's the main reason why everything has been the way it has been around here this year so far. It's something we’re going to keep replicating.”