After he missed the last three games, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto has landed on the 10-day injured list, the team announced on Tuesday.
Neto first sustained his injury on August 20 when he took a pitch off the left hand, then aggravated it on a swing last week. The Angels held him out of the lineup in the games since, hoping he would eventually be able to play through the pain, but finally relented before the start of the team's series in Milwaukee against the Brewers.
With the Angels languishing in last place in the American League West, there's no reason to push it with their young talent.
Playing in his second full season in the Majors, Neto has slashed .257/.319/.474 with a 116 OPS+. He was also a legit 30-30 candidate, though he appears to have finished his 2025 campaign with 26 home runs and 26 steals.
The IL move is retroactive to September 13, making him eligible to return before the team's final home-stand, but with nothing to play for, that seems unlikely.
Angels call up Carter Kieboom in corresponding move
With Neto on the IL, the Angels brought up Carter Kieboom to replace him. Kieboom has not played in the Major Leagues since 2023 with the Washington Nationals when he appeared in 27 games, hitting .207 with four homers and 11 RBI.
Once a top-100 prospect, Kieboom has a career .199/.297/.301 slash line in 508 plate appearances. He has had an impressive season at Triple-A Salt Lake, however, hitting .319 with nine homers and 11 steals in 402 plate appearances. Then again, as Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors points out, when adjusted for home park and league run-scoring environment in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he has only been about 2% better than league average, going by wRC+.
He spent all of last season at Triple-A Rochester in the International League, where he hit a more pedestrian .265 with a still-fine .751 OPS.
Kieboom is in the lineup for the Angels on Tuesday night, batting seventh and playing first base against the Brewers.
