3 Angels players who are now on thin ice with Matthew Lugo continuing to rake

Originally called up as the injury replacement for Mike Trout's injury replacement, Matthew Lugo has impressed.. As Trout, who was eligible to be reinstated from the injured list on May 12, continues to slowly work through his rehab, more and more opportunities will be given to the 24-year-old outfielder who ranks as the Halos' no. 13 prospect.

In his brief stint, Lugo has shown a flare for the dramatic, coming up big in key spots including a couiple of pinch hit homers. In May 17th's victory against the Dodgers, Lugo smacked his third homer in just eight games (five starts) to give the Angels a key insurance run to help seal the 11-9 win.

The performance brought his line to .381/.409/1.000 as six of his eight hits have gone for extra bases. Kyren Paris has proven that it's not necessarily wise to buy into a prospect's electric performance after a small sample.

Lugo will come down to earth. He's yet to draw a walk, is striking out 27.3% of the time, and won't continue to post a ridiculous .619 isolated slugging percentage. However, despite some struggles this season at Triple-A Salt Lake, Lugo owns a career .765 minor league OPS and has a long track record of hitting at every level he's played at.

With the rest of the Angels' outfield struggling, Lugo could prove that he's here to stay if he continues to capitalize on Trout's absence. As a result, three players could find themselves on thin ice with regard to their roster spots.

These three players could find themselves on the outs with the Angels if Matthew Lugo continues to shine

Jo Adell

The Angels have spent the better part of six years waiting on a Jo Adell breakout that has never come. Tweaks and adjustments have done little to provide the club with answers beyond small flashes of the potential that once made him one of the top prospects in baseball.

A gifted athlete, Adell has struggled to transition those gifts into actual production on the baseball field, both offensively and defensively.

2025 has been no different. Adell is still striking out at an alarming rate with a 28.2% mark on the season. He's also struggled to make consistent contact or get on base, as his .198/.250/.371 demonstrates.

In the field, he's been equally bad, posting -2 outs above average and -6 defensive runs saved across his appearances in both center and right field.

It might be time for the Angels to accept that Adell isn't the player they hoped he'd become, and Lugo's hot streak might just be what it takes for them to finally cut the cord.