Angels set timeline for Tommy John surgery to Jack Kochanowicz, while Yoán Moncada faces right-knee operation

The Los Angeles Angels will be without two key pieces after announcing that right-hander Jack Kochanowicz needs Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament. The club also said third baseman Yoán Moncada will undergo surgery on a balky right knee. The twin setbacks reshuffle both the Angels’ pitching depth and their infield outlook, with the immediate question shifting to who can absorb workload in the middle innings and how the rotation gets rebuilt while Kochanowicz recovers.

According to the team, Kochanowicz is expected to be sidelined through the 2027 season. reported the diagnosis came after an MRI exam following elbow discomfort while he threw changeups, and it clarified the underlying issue as a UCL tear. The Angels’ right-hander has been a swing option in their starting plans, and losing him adds urgency to how they fill the gaps left by a potential end-to-end absence.

Before the injury was confirmed, Kochanowicz’s season had already begun to swing in two directions. Yahoo Sports reported he went 2-5 with a 6.19 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 47 and walking 36 across 64 innings. He posted a 3.05 ERA during his first seven outings, then struggled through a subsequent stretch in which he posted an 11.91 ERA, striking out 17 and walking 15 in 22 2/3 innings. The contrast made the move more destabilizing, because the Angels were simultaneously trying to decide whether to lean on him as a longer-term arm.

The timing matters for the Angels because the replacement decisions are not just about next week’s rotation spot. Manager Kurt Suzuki said the team was still evaluating options for Kochanowicz’s replacement in the starting rotation. Yahoo Sports listed potential candidates as left-hander Sam Aldegheri and Triple-A right-handers Caden Dana and George Klassen, suggesting the club may mix internal promotions with longer-view developmental timing.

added that the setback also impacts the position player side. Moncada was moved to the 60-day injured list after the club determined the knee required surgery, and the report said he is not eligible to return until July 21. While the specific timetable for rehabilitation was not detailed in the announcement, the move indicates the Angels expect a meaningful absence rather than a quick return after limited rest.

For the Angels, the broader effect is roster construction. A long Tommy John recovery typically turns a starting role into a multi-quarter project, and a third-base vacancy often forces managers to use combinations at multiple spots while younger players or newly promoted options get regular reps. Even if the Angels can patch the immediate workload, the October picture becomes harder to reach when both a rotation arm and a core infielder are removed for most of the calendar.

What to watch next is how Los Angeles maps the pitching staff during Kochanowicz’s absence, including whether any promoted starter becomes a long-stay fixture or whether the plan leans toward a rotating set of arms. On the position-player side, the key question is what lineup shape the Angels adopt at third base and how they balance short-term at-bats with Moncada’s return eligibility timeline. The decisions they make over the next several weeks will define how quickly they can stabilize performance after a major blow.

confidence is medium because the central injury facts were confirmed by major outlets and aligned with MLB’s reporting, but some replacement details and specific rehabilitation timelines can evolve after surgery and follow-up evaluations.