Injury bug surfaces at Angels camp as two key players deal with minor ailments

Aside from knocking off the rust and determining roster crunches, one of the big items on the Angels' to-do list was to get through spring training with all their key cogs healthy. That goal has gone relatively off track in recent days as two players who figure to be key cogs on the 2025 team have been sidelined with nagging injuries.

First, Angels' left fielder Taylor Ward has been dealing with knee soreness that has kept him out of the lineup for the last couple of days. Almost simultaneously, utility man and potential opening day starter at second base, Luis Rengifo, was pulled from the lineup with hamstring tightness which has him listed as day-to-day.

While neither of these injuries should ring alarm bells just yet, it is something to keep an eye on as these sorts of bumps and bruises sometimes foreshadow a larger issue to come. The Angels have seen that happen far too frequently in the past, where what was first thought to be something minor ended up costing a player significant time.

Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo are key pieces the Angels can't afford to be without come opening day

In addition to being the starting left fielder, Taylor Ward has quietly become a very accomplished hitter who is among the best the Angels have. Ward was an iron man for the Angels last season playing in 156 games.

Ward is a career 111 wRC+ hitter who Angels manager Ron Washington expects to be the team's leadoff hitter. Offensively, he's a balanced hitter with on-base skills and power to hit 20-25 homers a year while playing average or above defense in left. If the Angels were to see him miss extended time during the regular season, they'd surely suffer.

Rengifo on the other hand has battled injuries for the majority of his career. Most recently, his breakout 2024 campaign in which he hit .300/.347/.417 was limited to just 78 games after he suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

The Angels may not have a starting role for Rengifo on opening day, but he's an integral part of their plans. His ability to play second and third as well as his expanded role in the outfield and ability to (poorly) play shortstop in a pinch mean he should get a starters workload spread across appearances at multiple positions.

Spring training bumps and bruises happen, and by all indications these are just examples of that. However, given the Angels' history of poor injury luck, it would behoove them to proceed cautiously with these two important players as the spring progresses. Losing either for an extended period of time during the regular season would surely spell trouble, so it's best not to gamble.

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