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The Los Angeles Angels announced on Wednesday that infielder Andrew Velazquez has suffered a right meniscus tear.
He was placed on the 10-day injury list, while Michael Stefanic was called-up from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move.
Velazquez left after only four innings during Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians after tweaking his knee while making a play at shortstop.
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"#Angels Transactions: •Recalled INF Michael Stefanic from Triple-A Salt Lake •Placed INF Andrew Velazquez (right meniscus tear) on 10-day injured list" - Angels PR
The Angels claimed Velazquez off waivers out of the Yankees organization last November. He has made a career-high 349 plate appearances this year. However, his slashline reads a meager .196/.236/.304, which is 51% worse than the league average.
Stefanic, on the other hand, has batted .314 with four homers and 38 RBIs in 77 games for Salt Lake this season. He missed games in August due to back spasms, but has slugged .484/.590/.871 with two homers and nine RBIs since the start of September.
Despite struggling at the plate, Velazquez’s glove work has been excellent. At shortstop, he has notched 13 Defensive Runs Saved.
According to Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher, Velazquez will require surgery to fix the damage to his knee. The rehab window is expected to be between six and eight weeks, which confirms that Velazquez’s season is officially over.
"Velazquez’s season is obviously over. He will have surgery. Rehab is 6-8 weeks." - Jeff Fletcher
Velazquez is expected to be transferred to the 60-day IL next week. For Stefanic, this marks an incredible opportunity. The Angels have 19 games left to play before they wrap up an utterly disappointing season.
Andrew Velazquez could be on his way out soon
Andrew Velazquez’s future with the Angels remains very much in doubt. He has been good with his defensive work, but his contribution at the plate has been insignificant.
The Angels, however, need to put serious thought before making a decision on Velazquez. They have a shallow squad with no real depth. They are overly reliant on their two superstars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, bailing them out every time.
Without making any significant additions, losing players like Velazquez is only going to make a bad situation worse. With talks of a new owner potentially taking over, Angels fans will be hopeful of better planning ahead of 2023.
For more news and updates, go to the Sportskeeda Baseball page.
