Angels Injury Update: Soler and Taylor back to IL, Moore progressing

The Angels have yet to make any trades before the deadline in a few days, as the front office is gauging both the league-wide interest in their roster and the asking price on available players. They could be either buyers or sellers, with selling being the more logical outcome given the underwhelming start to the second half of the season. The Angels need every single player on its roster available to defy the odds and surpass the six American League teams in front of them for a wild card spot, and they just lost two significant contributors.

Angels Injury Update: Jorge Soler and Chris Taylor are heading back to the injured list

Soler heading back to the injured list is such a brutal blow for both the slugger and the Angels. The 33-year-old battled through groin injuries earlier in the season, and was held out of the lineup but remained on the active roster. This is now his second time hitting the IL due to a back issue.

Coming out of the All-Star break, the right fielder was tied with Logan O'Hoppe for the team's best OPS -- in his five games played, Soler posted a stellar 1.169 OPS. His .308 batting average was second on the Angels post-ASB to O'Hoppe, his .400 OBP tied Taylor Ward for second (behind O'Hoppe), his .769 SLG was first and his .483 wOBA was second to -- you guessed it! -- O'Hoppe. Losing that bat significantly hurts this team's already woeful chances of ending its MLB-leading postseason drought.

Soler might have been traded in the next couple days at face value due to his turnaround, but not anymore. A team would have ponied up prospects and ate his remaining 2025 and entire 2026 salary with the way he was trending. Soler's absence also leaves a massive hole in right field, as Mike Trout is still only designated hitting as of now. The hole in right field could have been filled by Chris Taylor, but he unfortunately is joining Soler on the injured list.

Taylor fractured his left hand in early-June after getting hit by a pitch by the Athletics' Tyler Ferguson. Per MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, "Chris Taylor said he re-fractured his hand on the diving play in left field last night. Expected to have similar six-week timeline. So hopeful to return at some point in September." Like Soler, Taylor is hitting the IL due to re-aggravating a previous malady.

Scott Kingery and Gustavo Campero will warm the bench for the Halos with Soler and Taylor out. It seems likely that the Angels will use a revolving door of right fielders, with Lamonte Wade Jr. starting mostly against right-handed pitchers and either Campero or Kingery against lefties.

Angels Injury Update: Christian Moore progressing and could return soon

Hopefully the Angels' top prospect can return soon, so the team does not have to start Kevin Newman against left-handed pitchers any more. Per Jeff Fletcher of The OC Register: "Second baseman Christian Moore, who is out with a sprained thumb, began doing some baseball activity on Friday. Moore played catch and then did the defensive drills that all Angels infielders do every day. He said he was scheduled to take some batting practice later. Moore is wearing a brace on his left thumb."

Hopefully Moore does not re-injure himself like Taylor did, and the team is clearly taking precaution to make sure that does not happen. Moore wanted to come back as soon as the second half of the season starter, and that was a 1.5 weeks ago. Taylor came back with some haste after he started doing defensive drills, so that might indicate an imminent return for the team's 2024 first round pick. A return in July seems plausible if Moore does need a rehab assignment, a return in early-August seems plausible if he does need one.

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