Ron Washington, the Los Angeles Angels’ 73-year-old manager, will miss the remainder of the season on medical leave, the team announced on June 27.
Washington was placed on medical leave June 20 with an unspecified medical condition.
Bench coach Ray Montgomery has been named interim manager, with Ryan Goins assuming the role of bench coach.
“The fortunate part is he knows what he needs to do, and from a health standpoint, he knows how to get better,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said in a pregame press conference, per the Los Angeles Times. ‘In my opinion, and I think a lot of people’s opinion, the game of baseball is 1,000 times better when Ron Washington’s part of it on a daily basis.”
Washington is in his second season as Angels manager and 10th overall, as he led the Texas Rangers to consecutive American League pennants in 2010 and 2011. He managed the Rangers through part of the 2014 season.
In between managerial jobs became a valued infield coach for the Atlanta Braves.
All-Stars like Dansby Swanson, Freddie Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley crediting Washington for enhancing their defensive game.
He has a 103-139 record as Angels manager, with the club climbing to 40-40 this season before Washington went on permanent leave. Montgomery, 55, was named Angels bench coach before the 2022 season and is their former director of player personnel.
‘The focus is on Wash, and making sure that he gets what he needs right now,” Montgomery said, per the Times. ‘I think the guys are fine. I think they’re going to adjust and adapt and go and it’s sort of like a transactional thing, right? So the responsibility for them is to continue doing what they’re doing.’