Surprise LA Angels utility player has come out of nowhere with excellent play in 2022

Since David Fletcher got hurt, Luis Rengifo has been given much more playing time with the LA Angels. This middle infield platoon was in need of strong play from another infielder while the injury keeps Fletch out, and Rengifo has certainly answered the call up to this point.

Rengifo has played in 12 games of the year, and hit .313/.421/.438 (.859 OPS) up to this point. If he can keep his bat performing like this, it could go a long way. Rengifo already provides utility to the Angels--playing three different positions for the team this year.

He's played mostly second base of course this season, but he's also played some left field and some right field as well. He even played some third base and shortstop for the Angels in his other three seasons with the team. A strong bat and strong utility could potentially guarantee Rengifo more looks in the future as well.

Luis Rengifo is putting himself in position to continue receiving looks from the LA Angels moving forward.

If Luis Rengifo continues hitting at a high level for the LA Angels, he could see many at-bats in the future, even when Fletcher gets back. That's because he's the only Halo middle infielder who has been able to hit so far.

Tyler Wade is hitting an awful .235, Andrew Velazquez is hitting an ugly .198, and Matt Duffy is boasting a lowly .229 batting average. Besides, even when Fletcher gets back, he certainly doesn't have a strong resume when it comes to offense.

Many are giving him a pass for his .158/.220/.263 (.483 OPS) slash line this year due to his injury, but it's important to remember that Fletcher has been well below-average as a hitter over the course of his career. Sure, he batted .319 in the 2020 pandemic season, but his career .278/.326/.362 (.688 OPS) is a tough look.

The Angels have struggled offensively in the middle infield for quite some time now, and Rengifo is at least giving them a quality offensive option this year. If he keeps it up, prepare to continue seeing Rengifo a bit more consistently as the Halos gun for their first postseason appearance since 2014.