ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington will step away from the team for the rest of the season to address a medical issue, the club announced Friday.
Washington, 73, and currently the oldest manager in Major League Baseball, has been away from the dugout for the past week after exhibiting signs of fatigue and shortness of breath during a road series against the New York Yankees, which concluded on June 19. He returned to Southern California shortly afterward and underwent medical evaluations before being placed on leave.
In his absence, bench coach Ray Montgomery has taken over managerial duties and will continue to lead the team on an interim basis. Infield coach Ryan Goins has been elevated to Montgomery’s previous role as bench coach.
Washington boasts a career managerial record of 664–611 across 10 MLB seasons, including eight with the Texas Rangers and two with the Angels. He famously led the Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 before resigning in 2014. After serving as a coach with both the Oakland Athletics and the Atlanta Braves—who won the 2021 World Series during his tenure—Washington returned to managing in 2024 with Los Angeles.
The Angels entered Friday’s matchup against the Washington Nationals sitting at an even 40–40 record. They’ve shown signs of progress under Montgomery, winning seven of their last ten games, including three straight.
This marks the first time Montgomery, 55, has served as a big-league manager. A native of Westchester County, New York, and a former MLB outfielder for the Houston Astros, Montgomery later transitioned into front office and coaching roles. He was previously the scouting director for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers before joining the Angels organization in 2020 as director of player personnel.
He moved into the bench coach role in 2021 under the leadership of general manager Perry Minasian and has remained a key figure on the coaching staff through multiple managerial changes, including Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin, and Washington.
Goins, a former infielder who played eight MLB seasons, joined the Angels’ coaching staff prior to the 2024 season when Washington brought him on as infield coach.
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