A former Tennessee champion is returning to Major League Baseball.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Sam Blum on Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Angels are calling up VFL Christian Moore in the wake of Mike Trout’s new IL designation due to a hamstring injury.
Moore, a former first-round pick from the 2024 MLB Draft, originally made his pro debut in last June. He played in 53 games for Los Angeles last season, hitting .198 at the plate with seven home runs and 16 RBIs.
After going through spring training with Los Angeles, Moore was assigned to the Angels’ AAA minor league team, the Salt Lake Bees. He’s been absolutely crushing the baseball, though. Through 51 games with the Bees this year, Moore is hitting .333 with nine home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .468 on-base percentage.
What’s been particularly interesting is what the Bees have done with him from a defensive perspective. According to CBS Sports, Moore has switched from second base to left field, which could be part of the reasoning for him to be the replacement player in Trout’s absence.
More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball Transfer Commit Earns Freshman All-American Honors
Moore is one of the most accomplished players in Tennessee baseball history. The second baseman holds the Vols’ career home run record with 61 long balls. As a junior, he smashed the program single-season home run record with 34 blasts. Moore hit .375 with the 34 home runs, 19 doubles and 74 RBIs in the leadoff spot helping lead Tennessee to its first national championship in program history.
Last June, Moore made MLB history with the Angels. He became the first player in history to A) hit a game-tying home run, B) hit a walk-off home run with his team trailing, and C) record all of his team’s RBIs during a single game. This all came during a 3-2 extra-innings win over the Boston Red Sox on June 25.
CMO HITS THE EMOTE AND WALKS IT OFF ‼️ pic.twitter.com/KV7654Sf4n
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 25, 2025
