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Angels activate infielder Vaughn Grissom

April 11, 2026

CINCINNATI — Vaughn Grissom’s opportunity for a new start with the Angels arrived a couple of weeks late.

The Angels acquired Grissom over the winter as a prototypical “change of scenery” candidate. He hadn’t lived up to his top prospect billing with the Atlanta Braves or Boston Red Sox.

A wrist injury midway through spring training started his Angels career on the injured list. After nine games of a Triple-A rehab assignment, he was finally activated Saturday.

“It’s a nice fresh start,” Grissom said Saturday. “Happy to go out there and try to help a new club win.”

Grissom, 25, hit .343 with a .761 OPS at Triple-A. He struck out in only 19% of his minor-league plate appearances, after striking out just three times in 33 spring training plate appearances.

“Worked on some of the things we needed to work on,” Grissom said. “Got healthy and now we’re ready to go.”

Grissom played first, second and third in the minors. Now he goes onto a crowded second-base depth chart, along with Adam Frazier and Oswald Peraza. Grissom started at second Saturday. He could also fill in for Yoán Moncada at third.

“We like his versatility,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Obviously he can play all over the field. His at-bats, his approach, he makes a lot of contact, so that type of stuff is nice. He can move the ball around. He’s got some power. We’re excited. We’re definitely excited to finally get him back off rehab and now he’s feeling good and ready to go.”

The Angels opened a spot for Grissom by designating Jeimer Candelario for assignment. After a hot spring earned him a spot on the roster, Candelario started the regular season with two hits in his first 18 at-bats.

LEFTIES AHEAD

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Angels had only two games in which they faced a left-handed starter. They are expected to face four in the final six games of this trip, including two of the four games in New York against the Yankees.

That’s not ideal timing for two Angels left-handed hitters and a switch-hitter who is better from the left side.

First baseman Nolan Schanuel was dropped down to fifth in the lineup Saturday. Schanuel came into the game hitting .200 with a .628 OPS. Suzuki was clear that the drop in the order is only because of the lefty, and doesn’t mean that Schanuel will also be dropping against righties.

“I feel like he’s actually having some pretty good at-bats,” Suzuki said. “He hit a hard line drive last night that got caught. He’s been hitting some balls hard.”

Outfielder Josh Lowe, another left-handed hitter, has traditionally had trouble with lefties. He was hitting .091 with a .423 OPS before getting two hits, with a homer, on Friday night. But he was out of the lineup Saturday, and could be benched for much of the next week with the lefty starters due.

Moncada, a switch-hitter, had two hits and two walks Friday, which lifted his average to .132 and his OPS to .590. He remained in the order against a lefty Saturday, but he was dropped to eighth.

INJURY UPDATES

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw a normal intensity bullpen session Saturday, the first time he’d done since he was shut down with shoulder inflammation late in spring training.

Rodriguez had thrown off a mound Wednesday in Anaheim, but that was just a “touch and feel” workout, without the typical effort level of a bullpen.

Right-hander Kirby Yates is working out with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, but the Angels haven’t decided when he’ll pitch in a game. Yates is coming back from a knee injury.

Right-hander Ben Joyce is still not facing hitters during his rehab in Arizona.

“From all the sounds of it, he’s progressing real nice,” Suzuki said.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP José Soriano, 3-0, 0.45) at Reds (LHP Andrew Abbott, 0-1, 3.18), 10:40 a.m. PT Sunday, FanDuel Sports Network, 830 AM

Orange County Register

News Details

Angels activate infielder Vaughn Grissom

LEFTIES AHEAD

INJURY UPDATES

UP NEXT

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