With nothing more left to play for in 2023, the Los Angeles Angels decided to shut down veteran third baseman Anthony Rendon for the season. The news was confirmed by Angels’ manager Phil Nevin on Saturday.
Rendon suffered a leg injury in July and has been slow to return to baseball activities. The Angels obviously feel that he doesn’t have enough time to be fully ready for action by the end of the 2023 campaign and have decided to take a cautious approach with the 2024 season in mind.
Since joining the Angels on a seven-year, $245 million contract ahead of the 2020 season, Rendon struggled to remain healthy. He never played more than 58 games in a single season with the Angels as he dealt with groin and hamstring issues. The 33-year-old also underwent two surgeries, one on his hip and the other on his right wrist, during his time in LA.
Rendon will finish the 2023 campaign, having played in 43 games. He batted .236 while hitting two home runs and getting 22 RBIs.
The Angels have previously also shut down their two-way star Shohei Ohtani and first-year pitcher Tyler Anderson for the remainder of the season. Star center fielder Mike Trout also remains out, although he expressed the intention to return before the regular season wraps up.
