The Angels announced that they have designated the infielder’s contract Nick Madrigal. He will take the active roster spot of the first baseman Nolan Schanuelplaced on the ten-day injured list with left ankle sprain, retroactive to May 24th. To open up a 40-man spot, an outfielder Matthew Lugo selected for assignment.
Chanuel has been dealing with an ankle problem for a few days and has not been in the lineup since Saturday. Since he was out for a while, Halo was able to delay his IL placement by a maximum of three days. It is unclear how long his ankle will take to heal but he will be eligible to work next week.
He’s had a strangely down year, and his walk has been dry. His ability to get on base has been his best asset, with an 11.3% walk rate coming into this year. That has now dropped to just 6.3% this season, roughly half of his previous pace. He converted 26.2% of the field out of the zone from 2023 to 2025 but that number increased to 28.6% this year. He connected on those changeups out of the zone 76.4% of the time last season but just 65.2% this year.
The result of that reduced plate rule is a .262/.313/.387 line and 96 wRC+ on the year, down from his .259/.353/.371 line and 107 wRC+ in previous campaigns. Maybe the ankle injury will give him a chance to get back into shape once he’s healthy.
Even though Schanuel isn’t having his best season, it’s still a setback for an Angels club that’s already in dire straits. They are 21-34, tied with the Tigers for the worst record in the American League. Schanuel’s wRC+ of 96 may be low but it’s still fifth on the team among guys with at least 20 plate appearances.
They will probably now have to cover the first base with the same guys Vaughn Grissom again Oswald Peraza. Grissom has a .233/.308/.379 line and a 92 wRC+ on the year. Peraza is doing much better but is currently second. Moving him to first could mean more time at second base Adam Frazierwith a .236/.313/.375 line and a 94 wRC+.
As the Halos rock those guys, Madrigal will give them the first backup option. He has more than 1,300 innings at second base and nearly 700 at third with strong marks at both positions. He stole 17 bases in 23 attempts.
Offensively, he has a contact-based approach with very little power and few walks but very few strikeouts. In 940 trips to the plate, his 4.6% walk rate and 9% strikeout rate are both well below average and he has just four home runs. That led to a .274/.323/.344 line and an 88 wRC+.
Despite the lack of punch in the batter’s box, speed and defense were enough to earn him chances. Unfortunately, his 2025 season was ended by shoulder surgery. He had to deal with a minor league deal with the Angels through 2026. He has a .275/.353/.366 line for Triple-A Salt Lake this year. In the hitter-friendly state of the Pacific Coast League, that translates to a wRC+ of 80.
Adding Madrigal will cost Lugo his roster spot. A second-round pick of the Red Sox, Lugo was one of four players the Halos acquired from the Sox in 2024. Luis García trade. He was assigned a 40-man roster spot in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t maintain the better offense he showed that year. Between those two clubs, he slashed .287/.376/.578 on the farm in 2024, resulting in a whopping 156 wRC+. Since the start of 2025, he has a minor league slash line of .261/.339/.430, leading to a 91 wRC+. He stepped to the plate 70 times in the majors and produced a .232/.243/.464 line and an 89 wRC+.
In addition to struggling at the plate, his home defense has been a question mark. The Sox tried him at shortstop and third base but moved him to the field in 2023. He is regarded as a passer but not particularly strong at cornerback.
Lugo is now headed for DFA limbo, which could last up to a week. The opt-out process takes 48 hours, so Angels can take as long as five days to evaluate a trade interest. He still has options, which could attract clubs who need depth outside. If he were to remove the waiver, he would stick with Halos as random depth. With no direct prior work experience and just shy of three years of service time, he will not be eligible for free agency.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
