Tim

Anderson

Anderson won a spot on the Opening Day roster after hitting .250/.297/.317 with one home run and three steals. With Zach Neto (shoulder) starting the year on the IL, Kevin Newman will be the starting shortstop with Anderson filling in at second base. The Angels’ full lineup is: Taylor Ward LF, Nolan Schanuel 1B, Mike Trout RF, Jorge Soler DH, Tim Anderson 2B, Luis Rengifo 3B, Logan O’Hoppe C, Jo Adell CF, Kevin Newman SS.

Anderson will be the Angels’ second baseman on Opening Day, even though he’s been arguably the worst player in the majors since mid-2022 and didn’t really do anything this spring to suggest that he’s better now. With the hitless game tonight, he finishes up hitting .250/.297/.317 in 64 plate appearances.

Anderson has officially made Los Angeles’ season-opening roster and will be the club’s starting shortstop while Zach Neto (shoulder) is sidelined. It’s an open question whether the 31-year-old former All-Star has anything left in the tank, but the Angels are going to give him a couple weeks to prove it. There’s some fantasy appeal here in AL-only leagues as a cheap speed source, but we’re not anticipating a significant impact.

Moncada isn’t currently throwing or hitting. He’s also just 4-for-28 overall this spring, so it seems like an IL stint might be for the best even if he’s physically capable of playing Thursday. If Moncada does miss some time, Luis Rengifo will slide to third base, probably opening up second for, gulp, Tim Anderson.

With Zach Neto (shoulder) sidelined at the outset of the year, and Yoán Moncada dealing with a thumb issue, there are multiple avenues for Anderson to break camp with the Angels in a starting role. The 31-year-old infielder might’ve hit rock bottom last year with the Marlins, but he’s shown a little bit of a spark this spring, batting .275 (11-for-40) with one homer and three steals. There could be some sneaky value here for fantasy managers in extremely deep mixed league and AL-only formats, at least for a few weeks until Neto is ready to make his season debut.

Moncada was scratched from Friday’s lineup with a sore thumb, but Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher reports that it’s worse than initially thought and the third baseman could miss Opening Day. If the 29-year-old third baseman is out, it would open the door for Tim Anderson to play second base with Kevin Newman at shortstop and Luis Rengifo at third base.

Baby steps. Neto has already been ruled out for Opening Day as he recovers from November shoulder surgery. Angels manager Ron Washington has said the 24-year-old shortstop should debut sometime in April and there’s no reason to adjust that timeline yet. Kevin Newman and Tim Anderson are the leaders in the clubhouse to fill in for the Angels at shortstop until Neto is ready. Neto is still the only Angels shortstop with fantasy value, though managers that select him will need a replacement for at least the first few weeks of the season.

An 83-mph grounder and a 74-mph flare, in case you were wondering. Even if Anderson can make it back to hitting .280, it’ll probably come with little power, no walks and bad defense. He was a great player at one point and he’s still just 31, so one can’t completely rule out a true comeback. It just wouldn’t square with how terrible he looked the last two years.

The Angels won’t take any risks with Rengifo in the exhibition season. Tim Anderson is now starting at second base.

Anderson tagged Cubs’ starter Jordan Wicks for his solo shot in the first inning. That had to feel great for the 31-year-old shortstop after failing to hit a single home run in 241 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2024 — and just one in 524 plate appearances with the White Sox the season prior. With Zach Neto (shoulder) set to open the season on the injured list, the door could be open for Anderson to see action at shortstop to begin the season if he continues to perform well in spring training.