Angels Manager Ron Washington Out Indefinitely Due to Health Concern

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington is stepping indefinitely away from the team due to health reasons, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Friday.

Angels bench coach Ray Montgomery will take over as interim manager beginning with Friday night's game against the Houston Astros, Minasian said.

Washington, 73, is in his second season as the Angels' manager. He previously managed the Texas Rangers from 2007 to 2014.

"Health is the most important thing. I’m not letting him manage until he’s 100 percent," Minasian said, per The Sporting Tribune's Zach Cavanagh. "Wash will be around, but he won’t be in the dugout.”

Minasian continued, per Cavanagh: “Wash has not felt great the last couple days. We got the doctors in New York seeing after a game yesterday. He went through a bunch of tests today."

About how long Washington would be away from the club, Minasian said, "I don't know. I don't expect it to be too long, but you just don't know."

"Obviously, we all know how important this is for all of us, but, health is more important than anything, and me personally, I'm not letting him back in the dugout until he’s 100 percent," Minasian concluded, per Cavanagh.

The Angels are off to a 36-38 start heading into this weekend's series with the Astros.

The Halos currently sit third in the AL West, and are one of five clubs within two games of the final Wild Card spot in the league.

Montgomery, 55, will now be tasked with keeping the Angels in the hunt for a postseason spot in his interim role.

A former outfielder for the Astors, Montgomery previously worked in the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks scouting departments. He initially joined the Angels as director of player personnel before transitioning to bench coach ahead of the 2022 season.

Montgomery briefly served as interim manager during Phil Nevin's suspension in 2022, and was reportedly considered as a managerial candidate before the Angels hired Washington in 2023.