Angels manager Ron Washington will remain on medical leave for the rest of the season, as announced by the team before their Friday game against the Nationals.
Ray Montgomery, the bench coach, has taken on the role of interim manager since Washington stepped away last week, and he’ll continue leading the team through the remainder of the 2025 season.
“The fortunate thing is he understands what he needs to do, especially regarding his health,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian shared with reporters.
Details surrounding Washington’s health issues were not provided by Minasian.
“In my view, I think the baseball community is so much better with Ron Washington involved every day,” he added.
Washington, who is 73, initially took an indefinite leave due to unspecified health concerns.
At that time, Minasian indicated that Washington wouldn’t be with the team in the dugout, even though he would still be around.
“Wash hasn’t been feeling great for the last few days,” Minasian commented. “We want to ensure he’s fully healthy before he returns to manage. I’m not sure how long that might take, but I don’t think it will be too long.”
“We all recognize how significant this is, but health prevails above all. Personally, I wouldn’t feel right having him back in the dugout until he’s completely okay. I really care about that guy.”
Washington, with nearly three decades in Major League Baseball, is in his second season as the Angels’ manager and seems to have made a meaningful impact on his players.
Angels catcher Logan Ohoppe reflected on Washington, saying, “He has 26 sons here, so juggling everyone texting at once is a lot.” He added that they may not often discuss Washington individually, but they’re definitely thinking of him.
Ohoppe also mentioned that Washington has been a key driver behind the team’s transformation this year, according to the LA Times.
The Angels currently stand at 40-40, trailing the AL West leaders by 7.5 games as they enter Friday’s match.
