Angels’ Luis Rengifo awaits MRI exam on wrist injury
OAKLAND — Luis Rengifo passed the first test, and now he’s waiting on the second.
Rengifo, who hurt his right wrist on a swing in the ninth inning Wednesday, underwent X-rays that showed no broken bones. He will undergo an MRI exam Friday in Chicago. He was not placed on the injured list.
“It’s still a little sore,” Rengifo said Thursday.
Apparently, the holiday Thursday complicated the Angels’ efforts to get Rengifo an MRI in Oakland. Since he wasn’t going to play Thursday anyway, the Angels opted to wait until Friday for the exam.
Rengifo said he felt the injury on one swing.
“He told me he feels much better today than he did yesterday,” manager Ron Washington said. “You know something was wrong when he just turned around and walked off the field, because you’ve got to pull Rengifo off the field.”
If the Angels lose Rengifo for any length of time, it would be damaging on multiple levels.
First, he’s been one of their most productive players, hitting .315 with an .800 OPS and playing solid defense at third base.
Beyond that, he is also one of the Angels’ most attractive trade chips, because of his performance and the fact that he’s under control for one year beyond this season.
If Rengifo’s injury is minor, he still could be traded by the July 30 deadline, but the return would be less.
PROGRESS FOR TROUT
Mike Trout has begun running on a normal treadmill, putting his full weight on his legs, and hitting off a tee on the field.
“I saw the video,” Washington said of the hitting. “He looked good. He looked natural. We just have to wait and see how the recovery is each time he puts some stress on that knee.”
Trout is just shy of nine weeks past surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He is already beyond the normal timeframe for a return from that injury.
GOODBYE
The final season at the Oakland Coliseum has special meaning for Willie Calhoun. The Angels’ DH grew up in nearby Benicia and attended A’s and San Francisco Giants games when he was a kid.
“I was a Giants fan, but the A’s were a lot cheaper to come to,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun said the Coliseum may not be the greatest major-league park, but it still means something to him.
“As a player, I don’t want to go there, but as kid going to games there every week, there are so many memories,” Calhoun said.
The Angels have one more trip here later this month, and Calhoun said he’d like to take a souvenir from the ballpark after that series.
Next year, the A’s are expected to play the first of three seasons in the Triple-A park in Sacramento, while they wait for their new home in Las Vegas to open in 2028.
NOTES
The Angels on Thursday began a stretch of four consecutive day games, which was the first time since 2010. That streak also included a visit to Wrigley Field. …
The Angels have not played at Wrigley Field since 2019.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 3-8, 4.71) at Cubs (LHP Justin Steele, 0-3, 3.20) at Wrigley Field, 11:20 a.m. PT Friday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.