CHICAGO -- The Angels officially set their roster for Opening Day just six hours before the first pitch of the season, as they made a flurry of moves in the week leading up to the regular-season opener against the White Sox.
The Angels surprisingly released center fielder Mickey Moniak, traded lefty Jos¨¦ Suarez to the Braves for right-hander Ian Anderson and designated lefty relievers Jos¨¦ Quijada and Angel Perdomo for assignment. It opened the door for Kyren Paris to make the club as a utility infielder and they also signed Nicky Lopez to a one-year deal.
Ryan Johnson also made the team as a reliever despite never pitching in the Minors after being drafted just last year, while Rule 5 pick Garrett McDaniels also made the team. Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz won the fifth starter job over lefty Reid Detmers, who is heading to the bullpen.
Here's a look at the club¡¯s official 26-man roster for Opening Day:
Catcher (2): Logan O'Hoppe, Travis d'Arnaud
O¡¯Hoppe will be the primary catcher again, after 127 games behind the plate in his first full season last year, but the Angels brought in d¡¯Arnaud to ease the burden and help mentor him.
First base (1): Nolan Schanuel
Schanuel is looking to build on his rookie season that saw him play in 147 games, and added strength this offseason.
Second base (1): Luis Rengifo
Rengifo missed some time early in spring with a minor hamstring injury, but he's healthy and will see action at second, third and possibly even center field.
Shortstop (1): Kevin Newman
Zach Neto will open the year on the injured list, but his recovery has been ahead of schedule and he¡¯s not expected to miss much time. Newman will fill in at short until Neto is ready.
Third base (1): Yoán Moncada
Moncada has been dealing with a deep bone bruise in his right thumb, but avoided the injured list. Rengifo will also see time at third as well as Lopez.
Outfield (3): Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell
The outfield is set, but the big change is Trout moving from center field to right field. Ward is remaining in left, but Adell is now the primary center fielder after they released Moniak. Paris will also see action in center.
DH (1): Jorge Soler
Soler will be the club¡¯s primary designated hitter, but Trout will also see time at DH in an attempt to keep him healthy this season.
Bench/Utility (3): Tim Anderson, Kyren Paris, Nicky Lopez
Anderson was signed to a Minor League deal but made the club after a strong spring, while Paris also made the team after retooling his swing to look more like Aaron Judge¡¯s swing. Lopez was a last-minute addition, signing a one-year deal on Tuesday.
Starting pitchers (5): Yusei Kikuchi, Tyler Anderson, José Soriano, Kyle Hendricks, Jack Kochanowicz
The top four spots in the rotation were set heading into spring, but Kochanowicz won the fifth starter job over Detmers and Chase Silseth. Detmers is headed to the bullpen, while Silseth is opening at Triple-A Salt Lake.
Relief pitchers (8): Kenley Jansen, Ben Joyce, Ryan Zeferjahn, Brock Burke, Ryan Johnson, Reid Detmers, Garrett McDaniels, Ian Anderson
The Angels signed Jansen to a one-year, $10 million deal to be the closer, with Joyce serving as his top setup reliever. Zeferjahn and Burke were locks to make the roster, while Johnson was a surprise considering he¡¯d never pitched in the Minors. McDaniels is a Rule 5 selection who must stay on the roster or be offered back to the Dodgers, while Anderson was acquired in a trade on Sunday.