Los Angeles Angels Place Anthony Rendon on Injured List Just as He Was Heating Up

Anthony Rendon, who had notched 20 hits over his last 14 games, has once again landed on the Los Angeles Angels' injured list with a left hamstring strain.

Apr 17, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6). / Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels have placed third baseman Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list, the team announced Sunday.

Rendon left Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds with a hamstring injury. It was later diagnosed as a left hamstring strain when the team officially sidelined him for the next 10 days.

To take Rendon's place on the 26-man roster, the Angels selected the contract of infielder Ehire Adrianza. To make room for Adrianza on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles shifted right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson to the 60-day injured list.

The timing of Rendon's injury was unfortunate, considering how he was starting to turn things around at the plate.

Rendon opened 2024 on a five-game hitless streak, and his batting average stood at a meager .094 through April 7. In his next 11 games, though, Rendon hit .395 with an .891 OPS, showing why he had been positioned as a building block for the Angels' lineup in the first place.

#Angels transactions:

•Selected the contract of INF Ehire Adrianza (#13)

•Placed INF Anthony Rendon (left hamstring strain) on 10-day injured list

•Transferred RHP Robert Stephenson to 60-day injured list

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) April 21, 2024

Rendon was a one-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger with the Washington Nationals, earning MVP votes in four of six seasons between 2014 and 2019. He led the NL in doubles twice, runs once and RBI once, in addition to leading Washington to a World Series title in 2019.

Ever since Rendon left the Nationals and signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels, however, he has come under fire for failing to live up to expectations.

Rendon was solid is his first year in Anaheim, missing just eight games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He hit .286 with a .915 OPS and 2.2 WAR, finishing 10th in AL MVP voting.

Over the next three seasons, though, Rendon appeared in a total of 148 games. He hit .235 with a .701 OPS and 1.0 WAR between 2021 and 2023.

This past offseason, Rendon was quoted saying that baseball had never been his top priority and that he simply plays to make a living. Fans and media members alike turned against him, labeling him as soft and unwilling to play through pain for the good of his team.

Rendon is now back on the injured list for the first time in 2024, out for at least the rest of April. The infielder is a few weeks away from his 34th birthday.

Los Angeles is currently third in the AL West at 9-12, 1.5 games back of the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.

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