Wade Meckler, Donovan Walton join Angels after roster shuffle

The Angels selected the contracts of Wade Meckler and Donovan Walton on the same day they moved Josh Lowe, Yoán Moncada and Yusei Kikuchi to different roster statuses. wade meckler is back on a 40-man roster after a January waiver claim and a later outright; Walton arrives with Triple-A production that forced the issue.

Meckler Returns To Los Angeles

Meckler, 26, replaced Lowe after the Angels optioned him to Triple-A Salt Lake. The move gives the club another outfield option behind a group that has leaned on Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Lowe this year.

His path back has been short but uneven. The Angels claimed him off waivers in January, outrighted him a few weeks later, and then watched him open this season at Triple-A Salt Lake before he played five games there and moved to Double-A Rocket City.

At Rocket City, the results pushed him back into the conversation. He has hit.343/.449/.525 with a.395 batting average on balls in play, along with a 16 percent walk rate and a 16 percent strikeout rate.

Walton Gives Angels Infield Depth

Walton takes Moncada’s place after Moncada went on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation. The Angels signed Walton to a minor league deal in the offseason, and he has hit.282/.429/.481 in Triple-A this year.

That production sits on top of a longer track record. Walton, who turns 32 next week, debuted in 2019, has appeared in 72 major league games and owns a.172/.223/.298 line in 214 major league plate appearances. He has also logged time at the three infield spots to the left of first base and in left field.

His Triple-A history is deeper than his big league resume. In 1,647 Triple-A plate appearances, Walton has posted a.281/.372/.439 line, and that work translated to a 128 wRC+ in the Pacific Coast League.

Roster Spots Opened Up

The Angels had room to make both additions after outrighting Alek Manoah earlier this week and then creating another opening by transferring Kikuchi to the 60-day injured list. That sequence let them add two depth players without waiting for another move.

Moncada’s.189/.308/.297 line this year and the club’s need for infield cover made Walton the cleaner fit, while Meckler’s.232/.328/.250 major league line from 2023 showed why the Angels still see a usable outfield bat if the Triple-A production carries over. The immediate task is simple: hold the roster spots and turn the new openings into innings and plate appearances.