The Angels selected contracts for outfielder Wade Meckler and infielder Donovan Walton, filling roster spots opened by Josh Lowe being optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and Yoán Moncada landing on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation. To make room
In the shuffle of a busy roster day, the Angels made their next choices concrete: Wade Meckler and Donovan Walton were both selected, stepping into the spots vacated by Josh Lowe and Yoán Moncada. The move wasn’t made in the abstract—it came with names already moving off the field.
The team will place Josh Lowe on the Triple-A Salt Lake assignment after he was optioned. Yoán Moncada, meanwhile, was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation. To account for the roster math. the Halos arrived at the day with one open 40-man spot after outrighting Alek Manoah earlier this week. and they opened another by transferring left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the 60-day IL.
Meckler, 26, is returning to the majors with momentum. His contract was already part of the Angels’ plan after the team claimed him off waivers in January and then outrighted him a few weeks later. This year, he began with Triple-A Salt Lake but struggled in five games. The Angels sent him down to Double-A Rocket City. where he’s been swinging with authority for the Trash Pandas. hitting .343/.449/.525. The numbers are backed by a .395 batting average on balls in play. and by matching walk and strikeout rates of 16%. both described as strong figures.
His path to this point has been uneven at the highest level. Before joining the Angels. Meckler spent nearly all his time in the majors with the Giants and had a brief debut in 2023—hitting .232/.328/.250 in 64 plate appearances. His wider profile as a prospect leaned on speed and defense, with questions more concentrated on power. In 1. 393 minor league plate appearances. his walk rate has been 14.2% and his strikeout rate has been 16.6%. but he has only 21 home runs.
That’s why this promotion comes with a specific test. With the Angels looking for something sustainable. Meckler’s recent success sets up the question of whether he can translate it to big league pitching. At minimum. the club will likely value what he can bring on the bases. including the ability to run down pitches and steal a few bases. If it doesn’t click, he does still have an option and can be sent back down.
The outfield picture remains led by Mike Trout and Jo Adell. who have been operating as the Halos’ primary presence this year alongside Lowe. Guys like Jorge Soler. Adam Frazier. and Jose Siri have also been chipping in. but with Lowe no longer on the roster. those other roles could tighten—particularly as playing time shifts toward the rest of the cluster.
Walton’s addition brings a different kind of utility. The 32-year-old infielder—whose age becomes official next week—has been a part-time major leaguer for years, debuting in 2019. This will technically be his seventh big league season, but he’s appeared in only 72 games. In 214 plate appearances, he has a .172/.223/.298 batting line. Offense hasn’t been his calling card in the majors. but his defensive versatility has shown up in his experience across three infield spots to the left of first base. plus left field.
In the minors, the bat has looked sharper. Over 1. 647 Triple-A plate appearances in his career. Walton has a .281/.372/.439 line. including a .282/.429/.481 mark this year after signing a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. Even with the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, that performance translates to a 128 wRC+.
For the Angels, Walton is another left-handed option for infield depth. Right now. second and third base time has been split among Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza. and lefty Adam Frazier is also part of the infield mix. Walton’s task. then. is to complement the existing rotation of hitters and defenders—especially as the absence of Moncada opens up third base time.
Moncada’s situation is central to that opportunity. This year, he’s been scuffling while battling the knee injury, producing a .189/.308/.297 line. A trip to the IL could allow him to reset, though the outlook may extend longer. Surgery on the knee is listed as a possibility. per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. and the time he misses could hinge on how his recovery progresses.
Lowe’s departure, by contrast, fits the kind of roster decision that doesn’t need much suspense. The move “isn’t surprising” with his numbers this season. but it’s still notable when placed against his earlier production. In 2023, Lowe hit 20 home runs for the Rays and stole 32 bases. He posted a .292/.335/.500 line for a wRC+ of 130, with FanGraphs credited him with 3.4 wins above replacement that year.
Since then, the trajectory has bent downward in clear steps. In 2024, his line fell to .241/.302/.391 for a 98 wRC+. In 2025, his performance dipped again to .220/.283/.366 and a 79 wRC+. The Angels took a shot at a bounceback by acquiring Lowe in a three-team trade that sent pitchers Brock Burke and Chris Clark out of town. For the Halos, the deal hasn’t delivered—Lowe is hitting .184/.226/.320 this year, and a .220 BABIP isn’t helping. Even more damning are the walk and strikeout rates: 4.5% for walks and 29.1% for strikeouts.
Now the Angels will try to get him back on track in Salt Lake. After spending 20 days in the minor. this will be his final option season. and he will be out of options in 2027. The longer-term outlook points toward a non-tender path. Lowe has already qualified for arbitration and is making $2.6MM this year.
The roster churn extends beyond hitters. Kikuchi landed on the 15-day IL in early May with shoulder inflammation. Shortly afterward, the Halos announced he would be shut down for three to four weeks before ramping back up again. His 60-day count is retroactive to that initial IL placement. so he’ll be eligible for reinstatement in early July. assuming he can get healthy by then.
Even before the official announcement, the switch was already visible in the lineup. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register relayed that Meckler and Walton were in the lineup with Lowe and Moncada not on the lineup card. Moncada then told Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune that he was going on the injured list.
Los Angeles Angels Wade Meckler Donovan Walton Josh Lowe Yoán Moncada Yusei Kikuchi Alek Manoah Triple-A Salt Lake 10-day injured list 60-day IL