Angels’ Anthony Rendon needs hip surgery, faces lengthy recovery
The Los Angeles Angels just can’t catch a break. Their $245 million third baseman Anthony Rendon is headed for hip surgery that’ll keep him out for what the team is calling a “long-term” absence.
It’s just the latest setback in what’s been a really tough run for Rendon in Anaheim.
Since joining the Angels in 2020, the 34-year-old has only played in 257 games – that’s about 50 games per season. Not exactly what you want from your big-money star.
The numbers tell the story: a .242 batting average with modest power and just 3.7 WAR total. Pretty far from the All-Star level player the Angels thought they were getting after the 2019 World Series.
Back then, Rendon was one of baseball’s best third basemen. The Angels gave him that massive seven-year deal hoping he’d team up with Mike Trout to create something special. But injuries have had other plans.
The team’s already got a backup plan in place. They just signed Yoán Moncada for $5 million to handle third base while Rendon’s out. Though Moncada’s had his own injury issues – he hasn’t played 100 games in a season since 2022 and has hit just .236 over the last three years.
The Angels have been super busy this offseason, trying to end their playoff drought that goes back to 2014. They’ve brought in some big names:
* Jorge Soler in the outfield
* Travis d’Arnaud behind the plate
* Tim Anderson at shortstop
* Kenley Jansen to close games
* Kyle Hendricks and Yusei Kikuchi for the rotation
Making matters worse, they’ll also be without shortstop Zach Neto to start the season – he’s recovering from shoulder surgery.
For a team trying to finally get back to October baseball, losing Rendon is a tough blow. But at this point, the Angels might be getting used to playing without him.
