Angels Insider Reveals When He Expects Zach Neto to Return to Halos

Gabe Smallson | Apr 13, 2025

Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) turns a double play against Houston Astros left fielder Mauricio Dubon (14) in the fourth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels are off to a productive start to the 2025 campaign despite Zach Neto not yet making his season debut.

The young shortstop has been rehabbing from an offseason shoulder surgery, but is looking good in Triple-A Salt Lake. Angels insider Jeff Fletcher recently provided a timeline on when he believes the 24-year-old should be back on the diamond.

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"At this point I’d be surprised if he’s back before using the full 20 days of his rehab assignment," said Fletcher, "That would have him playing for the Angels on 4/22."

Zach Neto is DHing today. He played 6 innings at SS on Thursday and Friday.

At this point I’d be surprised if he’s back before using the full 20 days of his rehab assignment. That would have him playing for the Angels on 4/22.

Could change, but seems to be heading that way. https://t.co/UerNh8ahc8

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 12, 2025

Neto has been doing well so far on his rehab assignment with the Salt Lake Bees. Neto played all nine innings at shortstop today for the first time in his rehab assignment.

Through 11 games, he is batting .275 with an OPS of .853. He already has three home runs, six RBIs, and 11 hits.

Although Neto has recently cited feelings of fatigue recently, he played six innings of shortstop on back to back days this week.

As Fletcher pointed out, the limit for a rehab assignment is 20 days for position players. Especially given the recent fatigue, manager Ron Washington doesn't want to rush anything and risk a setback.

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“He’s been grinding hard and he feels it a little bit in his body,” manager Ron Washington said, “and we don’t want something else to go wrong with his body when he starts feeling it. So when he told us he started feeling a little fatigued, we’ve got to give him a break.”

Once Neto can play a full nine innings at shortstop consistently, he will be ready to rejoin the team. The team that he is working to get back to, however, is nothing like the team he left due to a late September shoulder injury.

The team he will return to is currently leading the league in home runs with a total of 30 as they sit at a 9-6 record on the year.

There was no question that Neto was the most productive member of last year's 99-loss season given his slash line of .249/.318/.443, 23 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.

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For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.