In Anaheim, California, the Los Angeles Angels have announced that their manager, Ron Washington, will be absent for the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed health condition. Washington, the oldest manager in Major League Baseball at the age of 73, has been out of action for over a week now.
The situation began during the latter part of a four-game series against the New York Yankees, which concluded on June 19, when Washington showed signs of shortness of breath and appeared visibly exhausted. Following these symptoms, he returned to Southern California, underwent medical evaluations, and subsequently went on medical leave.
Ray Montgomery, the Angels’ bench coach, has stepped in as interim manager over the past week and has now officially been appointed to continue in that role. Meanwhile, Ryan Goins, who previously served as an infield coach, has been promoted to the position of bench coach.
Throughout his career as a major league manager, Ron Washington has achieved a record of 664-611 across ten seasons, managing for eight years with Texas before his current tenure with Los Angeles. He notably guided the Texas Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. Washington left his role with the Rangers abruptly in 2014, later returning to baseball in coaching positions with the Oakland Athletics and the Atlanta Braves. His time with the Braves included a World Series victory in 2021, before he was appointed to manage the Angels.
The Angels started the game on Friday night against the Washington Nationals with a 40-40 record, having recently won three games consecutively under Montgomery, and seven of their last ten games. The team has surpassed expectations, given their history of consecutive losing seasons and missing the playoffs for a decade.
At 55, Montgomery is embarking on his first major league managerial role. Originally from Westchester County, New York, he once played as an outfielder for the Houston Astros. Prior to joining the Angels, Montgomery worked in scouting and player personnel roles with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers. He transitioned to the role of Angels’ bench coach in 2021 following Perry Minasian’s appointment as the general manager and has retained his position through several managerial changes.
Ryan Goins, who had an eight-year playing career in the major leagues, was brought on as infield coach by Washington before the 2024 season.