Angels News: Scary situation with Ron Washington, Soler to IL, Robert Stephenson note

The Angels are riding high off of taking three of four from the Yankees while in New York, but there are often many developments with a team's personnel that can help everybody keep things in perspective. The Angels will be experiencing something similar moving forward, as the team held a meeting before their game against Houston and the news that came out of it is not great.

Ron Washington has a scary health situation that will force him to take a break from managing the Angels

While the specifics are still not known, it was reported that Ron Washington will need to take a personal leave from being the Angels skipper to address a health concern. It is said that his break will be "indefinite." Washington's managerial duties will be ceded to bench coach Ray Montgomery for the foreseeable future. General manager Perry Minasian will have further comment to the media at some point tonight.

Washington is 73-years-old and in the final year of his contract with the Halos. Will the Angels' game on Thursday in the Bronx be his final game as both the Angels and an MLB manager? Hearing he is stepping away indefinitely makes one wonder, especially given that he is the oldest manager in baseball. It will be interesting to see if he can return to his post this year.

Washington's tenure as the Angels' manager is an interesting one. Last season, he oversaw what ended up being the worst team in franchise history. This year, the Angels are hovering around .500 and some are even saying he might have accrued some AL Manager of the Year recognition.

All the best, Wash. Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. Wash will assuredly find a way to motivate his team one way or another while he is away.

Jorge Soler hits the injured list due to his back issues

On a separate note, it was reported that Gustavo Campero had a locker in the Angels' clubhouse. Turns out, Soler's back issue that has plagued him the past couple days is forcing him to go to the injured list.

Soler's first season as a member of the Angels has been a frustrating one. He was out of the lineup, yet still on the active roster, earlier this month due to groin tightness. He battled through that and came back to play right field on a regular basis. However, the past month Soler is slashing .185/.250/.284/.534. The DH/RF might have retained trade value, despite being owed $13 million next year, but that is basically gone now with this injury and his inconsistent bat this season.

A positive note on Robert Stephenson

One of the sadder moments this season for Angels fans was seeing Robert Stephenson shove in his Angels debut, then be removed from his next game due to an issue with his right bicep. Well, according to Erica Weston, Stephenson is hoping to begin a throwing program during the Angels' homestand.

The Angels are hosting the Astros, Red Sox and Nationals through June 29th, so when exactly Stephenson will start throwing remains unclear. It's a great sign that he is aiming to make a comeback and is not shut down for the season yet again. With the news surrounding Washington, a Stephenson return will be a much-needed morale boost for the team if he can come back in due time.

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