ANAHEIM -- The Angels were hopeful that adding Yoán Moncada's presence to their lineup would provide a spark on Tuesday, and he did just that.
Moncada crushed a three-run homer as part of a six-run eighth inning to help lead the Angels to an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in the series opener at Angel Stadium. It was Moncada's first homer in the Majors since Sept. 29, 2023, as he went homerless in 12 games in his injury-plagued 2024 season with the White Sox.
“I feel very excited,” Moncada said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “I was out for a lot of games and to come back at the right time and hit the homer, it feels phenomenal.”
It came on a first-pitch fastball from closer Jeff Hoffman immediately after Logan O’Hoppe laced a go-ahead RBI single on an 0-2 splitter.
Down by a run entering the inning, Zach Neto got things going with a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on an error by third baseman Ernie Clement, who couldn’t handle the throw from catcher Alejandro Kirk on a bunt from Nolan Schanuel. The error proved pivotal but with the way the offense has been scuffling, the Angels will take runs any way they can get them.
The Angels were optimistic that Moncada, who has a propensity to draw walks, could help their struggling offense, which ranks last in the Majors with a .271 on-base percentage. He’d been out since April 10 with a right thumb strain and played in two rehab games with Class A Inland Empire, going 0-for-5 with four walks.
“I wasn’t worried about his offense, I just wanted his presence,” manager Ron Washington said. “He had three good at-bats where he barreled the ball and that last one was huge. I don’t think we expected that with him not playing.”
Moncada, 29, hit .190/.370/.286 with two doubles and four RBIs in eight games before landing on the IL. Moncada, who signed a one-year deal worth $5 million in the offseason, originally injured his thumb during Spring Training but tried to play through the injury early in the year, only to suffer a setback on April 4.
He had trouble hitting from the left side after the injury but proved that wasn’t an issue. The biggest challenge was expected to be his timing but Moncada also hit a ball to the warning track in his first at-bat and looked sharp at the plate.
“I just went in there and attacked the pitches,” Moncada said. “That’s how you get your timing back.”
Moncada, who has a career .254/.332/.423 slash line in parts of 10 seasons with the Red Sox, White Sox and Angels, was one of three veterans who joined the roster on Tuesday. They also received good news on right-hander Sam Bachman, who began his rehab assignment with Single-A Inland Empire on Tuesday and threw a scoreless inning after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in Spring Training.
Additionally, the Angels selected the contracts of veteran right-handed relievers Héctor Neris and Connor Brogdon before Tuesday’s series opener against Toronto. Right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake, and Touki Toussaint was designated for assignment. First baseman Niko Kavadas was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room for Moncada.
Neris, 35, has a career 3.40 ERA in 12 seasons in the Majors with the Phillies, Astros, Cubs and Astros, including winning a World Series with Houston in ’22. He made an immediate impact, striking out two batters with runners at first and third to end the eighth inning and quell a potential big inning from the Blue Jays.
Brogdon, 30, has a career 3.97 ERA in five seasons with the Phillies and Dodgers, including also pitching in the ’22 World Series for Philadelphia.
“You’ve got to be mentally strong, and that's what Neris and Brogdan bring, because they have been to war,” Washington said.
Both players were signed to Minor League deals, but Neris didn’t sign until April 16 after being designated for assignment by Atlanta on March 31 after allowing five runs in an inning over two appearances. But he had a 1.71 ERA in 68 1/3 innings as recently as '23 and is looking to return to form.
“I feel good and ready to go,” Neris said. “To be in MLB is the best. I have the passion to be here. I feel like the door is open for me again. I appreciate the opportunity and I want to take it and keep going.”