Angels News: Lack of Zach Neto injury update could be a big cause for concern

Sometimes, no news does not mean good news and that is what we could be seeing with Zach Neto.

Eric Cole

Los Angeles Angels v Houston Astros / Tim Warner/GettyImages

For the Los Angeles Angels, one of the guys that they really need to figure things out in 2024 is Zach Neto. The Angels' 2022 first-round pick got called up in 2023 after a very brief stint in the minor leagues, but has struggled thus far in the majors with a .699 OPS since joining the big league club.

However, things had been looking up for Neto lately. Over his last 25 games, he had slashed .284/.330/.523 with five homers and came up big in some key moments for LA as they've tried to climb back to respectability.

Unfortunately, Neto's progress suffered a major setback on Wednesday when he left the game early with an apparent injury after he sailed a throw to first base. Neto himself provided an update, saying that he was worried about his elbow as he felt something on a relay throw to the plate, and that he has had issues with it in the past.

Neto said his elbow feels okay right now, but he did take himself out of the game. “A little concern”, he said.

He’s had an elbow issue when he was younger, but it hasn’t bothered him since middle school with no problems since. More to come when the team returns home.
— Erica Weston (@EricaLWeston) May 22, 2024

However, what is even more concerning is that the Angels have basically been radio silent on his status since Neto got hurt, which is causing more than a little panic as to how bad his elbow injury could actually be.

Angels News: LA's silence on Zach Neto could mean bad injury news is coming

The most likely explanation for the lack of an official update on Neto is that he is still undergoing tests to determine the diagnosis. Given that Neto has had issues with his elbow when he was younger, combined with his concern, probably means that the Angels are going to be thorough in getting him checked out, and that just takes time.

Still, it is pretty odd that there has been nothing from manager Ron Washington or anyone else on the Angels beyond Neto as to what is going on with him. Given the Angels' lack of infield depth, losing Neto would present a pretty significant problem, although they do have Luis Guillorme and/or Kyren Paris to fill in, assuming Ron Washington has forgiven the former for not getting that bunt down.

Stay tuned for a Neto update, hopefully this weekend.

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Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.