The Los Angeles Angels placed rookie second baseman Christian Moore on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a sprained left thumb.
In a corresponding roster move, the Angels called up shortstop Chad Stevens from Triple-A Salt Lake. Stevens was scheduled to bat ninth and start at second base in his MLB debut Thursday against the Braves in Atlanta.
Moore, 22, sustained the injury while diving for a ground ball hit by Ozzie Albies in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s 8-3 loss. He exited the game and was replaced by Kevin Newman.
“Anytime a player like Moore goes down, your mind jumps to the worst-case scenario,” said interim manager Ray Montgomery, who added that a two-week absence might be the best possible outcome.
Moore debuted in the majors on June 13 and has hit .189 (10-for-53) with three home runs and eight RBIs over 18 games. He was the Angels’ first-round pick (eighth overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Stevens, 26, was hitting .307 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 72 games for Salt Lake.
Additionally, the Angels released 36-year-old right-hander Hector Neris. Neris had a 3-0 record with a 5.14 ERA, seven walks, and 19 strikeouts in 14 innings across 21 relief outings. He also appeared briefly for the Braves this year, allowing five earned runs in one inning, bringing his combined ERA to 7.80 over 15 innings in 2025.