Halos Today

Top Angels Prospect Has Monster Day in Return From Injury

Maren Angus-Coombs

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Christian Moore, who appeared to be on track for his major league debut before suffering an injury in Double-A, was officially diagnosed with a meniscus injury in his left knee.

However, the Los Angeles Angels indicated that the injury will be treated "conservatively," meaning surgery is not currently planned. Moore returned to the Trash Pandas lineup on Saturday.

Moore was batting .330 with a .948 OPS over 24 minor league games when he injured his left knee while attempting to field a ball. He had to be assisted off the field.

MLB's No. 75 overall prospect, Moore, wasted no time getting back to form. In his first game in two weeks, the 2024 eighth-overall pick lined a single over the second baseman's head in the first inning, marking his first hit of September.

"I got jammed, so that didn't feel too good on the hands," Moore said. "Going into that at-bat, I wanted to see as many pitches as I can but also be aggressive."

Moore didn’t stop with just one hit.

The Tennessee slugger singled again in the second inning, driving in two runs for his first multi-RBI game since Aug. 9 and his fifth of the season. He added two more RBIs in the fourth with a double to center field, setting a career-high with four RBIs in the game.

This was Moore’s fourth game of the season with three or more hits, and his third at the Double-A level. The right-handed second baseman has tallied 11 multihit games in just 25 professional appearances.

"I'm just trying to do my job every day and help out this club and stack wins," Moore said. "I think when you do that, obviously all the highs and performances like that can happen."

In his first game back from injury, Moore tested his left knee with a slide into home. As the week progressed, he started cautiously but gradually pushed harder, leading to more explosive runs on the basepaths after a speedy recovery.

"He's a dude," pitching prospect George Klassen said. "He's a guy you don't want stepping in the box. He'll get you your work every time, so it's good having him on my team, good to see him play."

Moore is slashing .347/.400/.584 across 25 professional games. After playing 72 games at Tennessee, the 21-year-old is nearing 100 total games in a single year for the first time. With the Double-A season ending on Sunday,

Moore mentioned he’ll know in the coming days whether he’ll play more games beyond this weekend.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

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