Angels’ Jared Walsh might need surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome
The Angels' first baseman goes on the injured list and might need surgery for nerves or blood vessels compressed between the collarbone and first rib
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The nightmare season for Jared Walsh has gotten even worse, and now it’s over.
The Angels’ first baseman was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday with thoracic outlet syndrome, which could lead to surgery. Head athletic trainer Mike Frostad said they aren’t sure how serious it is. Walsh will be re-evaluated next week.
Whether or not Walsh needs surgery, his placement on the 60-day injured list list eliminates any chance of playing again this season. The Angels initially placed Walsh on the 10-day IL, but they moved him to the 60-day IL a few hours later when they needed to clear a 40-man roster spot for left-hander Rob Zastryzny from the New York Mets.
Walsh mentioned the issue to trainers last week, Frostad said. When the team arrived in Florida this week, they sent him for further tests, which revealed the condition. The condition occurs when blood vessels or nerves are compressed between the collarbone and first rib.
Frostad said thoracic outlet syndrome can affect any athlete who makes an overhead motion. It’s more serious for pitchers, who obviously have to throw more often and with more intensity than a position player.
It does happen with position players, though.
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in June. The Rays spent a month trying to treat it without surgery, but he ultimately needed surgery. Zunino told Rays reporters on Thursday that he’s expecting to be ready for the start of spring training.
Without Walsh, the Angels brought up first baseman Mike Ford, who is with his fourth organization of the year.
Ford appeared in 101 games with the New York Yankees from 2019 to 2021 – when Phil Nevin was the Yankees’ third base coach – and this year he’s been with the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves.
A left-handed hitter, Ford has a career .192 average with a .695 OPS, which is actually higher than Walsh’s .642 OPS this season.
“Very talented with the bat,” Nevin said. “Hits a lot of balls hard. Plays a good first base. He’s an athletic guy. You look at him, you might not say that, but very athletic dude, he was a two-way player at Princeton, very intelligent.”
The Angels opened a 40-man roster spot for Ford by designating Phil Gosselin for assignment. Gosselin hit .098 with a .269 OPS in 22 games with the Angels.
The Angels also brought up catcher Matt Thaiss, who takes Walsh’s spot on the roster. Nevin said Thaiss would play some first base and also catch one of the games this weekend in Toronto.
Nevin said he was hoping the new hitters could breathe some life into an Angels team struggling at the plate.
“The at-bats have to be better,” Nevin said. “These guys have been taking really good at-bats down there. These (new) guys will get some looks.”
As for Zastryzny, the Angels optioned the 30-year-old to Triple-A. He pitched just one inning with the Mets this season. He has appeared in 19 major-league games over parts of four seasons, mostly with the Chicago Cubs. He has a 4.54 ERA in the majors. Zastryzny has a 3.61 ERA in Triple-A this season.
MORE ROSTER MOVES COMING
The Angels did not announce which players will not be traveling with the team to Toronto because they are unvaccinated, but they had three other players in the clubhouse who were inactive Thursday.
Outfielder Ryan Aguilar and right-handed relievers José Marte and Gerardo Reyes were there. Marte has already been up with the Angels a couple times this season.
This weekend will be the major-league debut for Aguilar, an Anaheim native and product of Esperanza High. He came from Double-A, where he was hitting .280 with 15 homers and a .944 OPS.
Reyes, 29, will be making his Angels debut, but not his major-league debut. He pitched in 27 games with the Padres in 2019, and then the Angels acquired him in a 2020 trade for Jason Castro. Reyes got hurt in spring training 2021 and required Tommy John surgery.
This season at Triple-A, he has a 3.69 ERA in 39 innings, with 52 strikeouts and 28 walks.
Players who are unable to travel to Canada because of their vaccination status are placed on the restricted list and don’t receive their salaries for those days. A team can replace them with players who aren’t on the 40-man roster, and then those players can be removed from the 40-man roster without being designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Reid Detmers, 4-4, 3.66) at Blue Jays (RHP Mitch White, 0-1, 3.38), 4:07 p.m. Friday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM