Not much went as planned for Ron Washington in his first season at the helm. Los Angeles Angels. 99 losses tells the story quite well. That doesn’t mean there weren’t wins. One of these was the development of 23-year-old defender Zach Neto, especially in terms of his strength.

Unfortunately, Neto (one of the club’s most durable players through 2024) may start rehab next season. According to The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Neto underwent shoulder surgery to repair the problem that began after a fall late in the season. The club’s general manager, Perry Minasian, stated that this could jeopardize his availability at the start of the 2025 season.

This will only increase health problems. Currently the Halos are without their top two starters who limit scoring and two of their top four threats on base. Injury information from CBS Sports.

It’s been 40 days since the Angels’ season ended. The Los Angeles side opted for a “wait and see” approach before proceeding with surgery. Neto’s second year as a major leaguer saw him end in the fourth inning after a slide to second base at Chicago’s Southside on September 26, forcing him to miss the final series against the Texas Rangers.

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The Miami native was as reliable as they come for the West Coast’s lousy ballclub throughout last season. Neto appeared in 155 games, finishing second on the team behind left fielder Tyler Ward. He posted 3.0 fWAR, good for sixth-best among American League shortstops. His slugging percentage increased from .377 to .443 while striking out 23 times; this was a record for most shortstops in a season in franchise history. This was a record that had been waiting to be broken since 1970.

Add in the fact that he’s shown this clutch gene multiple times. Neto’s .879 OPS is the highest by an Angel in late/shut games in 2024. And frankly it’s not even close. He was a man who gave Angel fans hope in a year that once again saw the Angel’s two highest-paid players, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, miss significant time due to injuries.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of Neto to the Angels. With both his arm and his stick. If you’re in Los Angeles, you don’t want to rush him, but you also need to understand his importance to long-term success. I hope what he does as the third-youngest player to start for Washington in 2024 is a glimpse of what his full potential looks like.

Former Kansas City Royals 16th-round pick Jack López was the only other player to play at shortstop for Los Angeles in more than five games under Washington. Another point to note is that the SoCal side added infielder Scott Kingery On November 1, from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash. He represents another depth option in the absence of Neto, who spent all of last year at the Triple-A level. Kingery played 106 games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2024, collecting a team-leading 25 bombs.

It is hoped that Neto’s rehabilitation goes as planned and he can pick up where he left off in late September. Otherwise, this could be a major setback for a club that hasn’t made the postseason in a decade.