Angels’ Win Over Dodgers Marred by Scary Injury to Gustavo Campero
The Los Angeles Angels’ 7-4 victory over their crosstown rivals, the Dodgers, on Monday night wasn’t without its worries, as right fielder Gustavo Campero was carted off the field with a left leg injury.
The incident unfolded in the eighth inning when Campero made a daring leap in an attempt to rob Max Muncy of a home run. His left foot appeared to snag on the outfield wall, twisting awkwardly as he landed. Campero immediately crumpled in visible pain, unable to stand or put weight on the leg.
Medical personnel rushed to assist, stabilizing the leg in a splint before he was taken off the field in a cart, delaying the game for nearly ten minutes. Afterward, Angels manager Ray Montgomery confirmed, “His foot got caught in the wall, and that’s what caused the awkward twist and fall.” The team has yet to reveal the exact severity of the injury.
With Campero sidelined and the Angels short on options — only Logan O’Hoppe and Christian Moore remained on the bench — Luis Rengifo shifted to right field while Moore took over at second base.
Neto’s Historic Night Powers Angels
Despite the injury setback, the Angels’ bats came alive, led by Zach Neto’s record-breaking performance. On the very first pitch from Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Neto launched his 18th home run of the season — and his eighth leadoff homer — breaking Brian Downing’s 1987 franchise record.
“I just wanted to set the tone early,” Neto said. “Against a team like that, every run matters.”
The Angels kept the pressure on, adding an RBI single from Yoan Moncada in the first and exploding for four runs in the fifth, with RBI singles from Mike Trout and Moncada, plus a groundout RBI from Campero in what became his final at-bat of the night. Neto later crushed his second homer of the game in the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto endured the worst outing of his MLB career, surrendering six runs and walking five, raising his ERA to 2.84 — his highest mark this season. The Dodgers made it interesting in the eighth with Shohei Ohtani’s 42nd home run and a three-run blast from Muncy, but the Angels’ bullpen sealed the win.
Campero’s Season in Perspective
Campero, 27, has had his struggles in the majors this year, batting .172 with three home runs and seven RBIs across 28 games. However, he’s been outstanding at Triple-A Salt Lake, hitting .322 with 18 RBIs and 11 steals in just 26 games.
Originally signed by the Yankees as a catcher in 2016, Campero found his way to the Angels via waivers in 2021 and made his big-league debut late last season.
The Angels will release more details on his condition in the coming days, but early indications suggest the injury may be serious. For now, Los Angeles will look to carry its momentum into the rest of the three-game series against the Dodgers.
