Angels Provide Cautiously Optimistic Update About Injured First-Round Pick

J.P. Hoornstra | Sep 5, 2024

Tennessee's Christian Moore (1) runs the bases after hitting a home run during game three of the NCAA College World Series finals between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, June 24, 2024. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The news could've been worse.

The Angels announced that Christian Moore, their first-round draft pick in July whose promising rookie season was interrupted by an injury, suffered a left meniscus injury that will be treated conservatively before ramping up baseball activity.

Christian Moore left AA Rocket City’s game today with an injury pic.twitter.com/E6ilt42SGO

— BTH (@BeyondTheHalo) August 31, 2024

Moore hasn't played since he sustained the injury in the field in an Aug. 30 game against the Tennessee Smokies.

Read more: Angels’ First-Round Pick Injured In Minor League Game

A meniscus injury, coincidentally, ended the season of Angels star Mike Trout earlier this year. But while Trout needed surgery, the Angels are apparently optimistic Moore can return to health without it.

According to the club announcement, Moore is remaining with the Angels' Double-A affiliate, the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Moore, 21, was the eighth overall pick out of the University of Tennessee in the recently completed draft. He played just two games with Class-A Inland Empire before he was promoted to Rocket City, and was putting himself in position to rocket all the way to the majors in the tradition of recent picks Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel possibly as early as this year.

Christian Moore now has six home runs in seven professional games!

This is insane.#RepTheHalopic.twitter.com/Xn4wLxjnfR

— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) August 10, 2024

In 22 games with the Trash Pandas, Moore slashed .302/.355/.512 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. After a scorching start to his minor league career, Moore had cooled off somewhat in his final eight games, going 5 for 33 with 12 strikeouts and only one extra-base hit.

Moore came into the 2024 draft on the heels of leading Tennessee to its first College World Series victory in program history. He also set the Volunteers' single-season home run record in his final season, hitting 34 home runs while hitting .375.

After just one week at Double-A, Moore was named the Southern League Player of the Week, cementing him as the top position-player prospect in a shallow Angels farm system.

Yet when rosters expanded to 28 on Sunday, it was journeyman minor league infielder Charles LeBlanc who got the promotion along with pitcher Caden Dana.

Only 10 games remain on Rocket City's schedule. That's a strong indicator Moore's injury is not considered serious. However, More will have to heal quickly if he intends to play again in 2024 without the benefit of a promotion to the Angels' 40- and 26-man rosters.

More news: Angels' Christian Moore on Likely MLB Call-Up: 'Right Now I'm a Trash Panda'