The Angels announced that they have selected the contracts of the outfielder Wade Meckler and an infielder Donovan Walton. They will take the places of foreign players Josh Lowe and an infielder Yoan Moncada. Lowe was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake while Moncada was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation. The Halos entered the day with one open spot for 40 men after going out Alec Manoah earlier this week. They open another one by transferring left Yusei Kikuchi in IL for 60 days.
Meckler, 26, spent his entire career with the Giants until recently. The Angels said he was off waivers in January but then told him a few weeks later. He started this year with Triple-A Salt Lake but struggled in five games, so the Halos sent him down to Double-A Rocket City. He has been putting together the Trash Pandas, with a .343/.449/.525 line. That’s partly due to a .395 batting average on balls in play but his consistent walk and 16% strikeout rates are both very strong stats.
Before joining the Angels, Meckler made his minor league debut with the Giants in 2023. He hit just .232/.328/.250 in 64 plate appearances. As a prospect, his profile showed that he had a strong foundation due to his speed and defense. His case was very doubtful. You usually have a good way of communicating without a tone of force. He has made 1,393 plate appearances in his career with a solid 14.2% walk rate and 16.6% strikeout rate but only 21 runs in that span.
With Meckler putting up good numbers at the plate lately, the Angels will see if he can translate any of that to the big leagues. At worst, he should be able to drive the ball down the field and steal a few bases, though whether he can produce in the batter’s box will be more of a question. If it doesn’t work, you still have an option and can easily be returned to the children.
Halos had the first outdoor arena Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Lowe’s this year, with the boys Jorge Soler, Adam Frazier again Jose Siri Trout and Adell should still be there regularly but the other guys in that group will probably compete for the playing time that has opened up now that Lowe is no longer on the roster.
Walton, who turns 32 next week, has been a longtime major leaguer but fits and starts. He debuted in 2019 and this will be his seventh major league season but has only played 72 games. In his 214 plate appearances, he has a .172/.223/.298 batting line. Although he didn’t do much hitting, he at least provided the defense with a variety of options, with experience in the three infield positions left of first base and left field.
His offense was much better in the minors. In 1,647 career Triple-A plate appearances, he has a solid .281/.372 /.439 line. That includes a .282/.429/.481 line this year, after signing a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. Even in the collision-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, that line translates to a 128 wRC+.
Walton gives the Angels another left fielder in their home field. Rights Vaughn Grissom again Oswald Peraza right now they’re getting good time at second and third base, so Walton might fill those two, as well as left. Adam Frazier.
Moncada has been hitting hard while battling a knee injury this year, putting up a .189/.308/.297 line. A trip to IL would allow him to get a fresh start but he’s also likely facing a long layoff. Surgery on that knee is a possibility, according to Franchys Romero of BeisbolFR. Time will tell how much time he has to miss. Meanwhile, his absence opens the third season for the aforementioned group of footballers.
As for Lowe, this move isn’t surprising given his current numbers, but it’s significant in the larger context. Back in 2023, he hit 20 home runs for the Rays and stole 32 bases. He hit .292/.335/.500 with a wRC+ of 130. FanGraphs pegged him at 3.4 wins above replacement that year.
Unfortunately, he’s been on a downward spiral ever since. In 2024, his line drops to .241/.302/.391, resulting in a 98 wRC+. Another slump came in 2025, as he posted a .220/.283/.366 line and a 79 wRC+. The Angels took a shot at the bounceback, getting Lowe in a three-way trade that sent the pitchers. Brock Burke again Chris Clark outside the city. That move didn’t pay off at all for the Halos, as Lowe hit .184/.226/.320 this year. A .220 BABIP doesn’t help but his 4.5% walk rate and 29.1% strikeout rate are both pretty bad stats.
The angels will try to get him back on track in Salt Lake. If he spends 20 days in the minors, this will be his last season and he will run out of options in 2027. In any case, the trend is not tender. He has already qualified for arbitration and is making $2.6MM this year.
Kikuchi went to IL for 15 days in early May with shoulder inflammation. Shortly thereafter, Halos announced that it would be closed for three to four weeks before returning. His 60-day count goes back to that initial IL placement, so he would technically be eligible for reinstatement in early July. Whether he can survive that time remains to be seen.
Before the official announcement, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register relayed that Meckler and Walton were on the roster and Lowe and Moncada were not on the roster. Moncada then told Jack Janes of the Sporting Tribune that he would go on the injured list.
