THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS sparked fears over Ron Washington with their announcement that he had been fired.
The baseball coach will not be returning to the team for the 2026 season.
Ron Washington will not be back as the Los Angeles Angels manager[/caption]
Washington, 72, has been in charge of the Angels since November 2023 but his 2025 campaign was cut short.
The manager missed the end of the season due to health concerns.
The decision that his time had officially come to an end in charge of the team was communicated to fans on social media.
A statement read: “The Angels have announced that Manager Ron Washington will not return for the 2026 season.
“Thank You, Ron Washington.”
However, the selected image to go alongside sparked fears that he had died.
The image featured two pictures of Washington on a cloudy background.
Fans shared their initial concerns for Washington’s well-being in the comment section.
One posted: “Good grief with that graphic; I thought he passed away.”
A second wrote: “Based on the photo alone. I legit thought be died.”
A third commented: “That graphic is crazy, I thought he became an Angel.”
A fourth said: “The pic looks like an obituary.”
Another added: “I know you have an Angel theme, but I had a mini panic attack that he had died.”
The Angels finished 5th in the American League West with a record of 72-90.
Washington enjoyed a long career as a coach with two spells at the Oakland Athletics that spanned over a decade.
His first stint in charge was between 1996 and 2006; he then returned in 2015 for one more year.
Between these spells, he worked as a manager at the Texas Rangers.
He then joined the Atlanta Braves as a coach in 2017 before leaving in 2023, when he would then make the move to LA.
The 2026 is scheduled to start on March 25 as the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees in the opening game.
