ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington will miss the rest of the season because of an unspecified medical matter, the team said Friday.
Washington, who turned 73 in April and is the oldest current manager in Major League Baseball, has been sidelined for the past week.
He experienced shortness of breath and appeared fatigued toward the end of a four-game road series against the New York Yankees that ended June 19. Washington flew back to Southern California, underwent a series of tests and was placed on medical leave.
Angels bench coach Ray Montgomery, who has filled in for Washington for the past week, was named interim manager. Infield coach Ryan Goins was promoted to bench coach.
Washington is 664-611 in 10 seasons as an MLB manager, all in the American League West Division. He led the Texas Rangers for eight seasons (2007-14) and was hired by the Angels ahead of the 2024 season.
He led the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010-11 before stepping down abruptly in September 2014. Washington returned to the sport as a coach with the AL West’s Oakland Athletics, and his 2015-16 stint was his second with the club after also being on staff from 1996-2006. He worked from 2017-23 for the Atlanta Braves, who won the World Series in 2021 and six consecutive National League East Division titles during that time, before landing a second managerial job in Orange County.
The Angels were 40-40 entering Friday night’s game against the visiting Washington Nationals, having won three straight games under Montgomery and seven of their past 10 overall. Los Angeles has played better than most expected from a team with MLB-worst active streaks of nine straight losing seasons and 10 straight seasons without reaching the playoffs.
The 55-year-old Montgomery is getting his first opportunity to manage in the majors. The native of New York’s Westchester County is a former Houston Astros outfielder who served as the scouting director for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers before joining the Angels as their director of player personnel for the 2020 season.
Montgomery became bench coach for the Angels in 2021 after general manager Perry Minasian took over the front office, and he stayed on board while Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin and Washington managed the club.
Goins played eight seasons in the major leagues before Washington hired him as the Angels’ infield coach before the 2024 season.