Angels' Anthony Rendon Wants Your Recommendations For Avoiding Injuries

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 10, 2024

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Anthony Rendon was not in the Angels' lineup on Monday against the Minnesota Twins because was hurt again.

Back soreness kept him on the bench, but it doesn't seem to be serious. It does, however, add another injury to a forever-growing list.

“No matter what I do, everything I try, it doesn’t work,” Rendon told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register on Monday. “I’m battling. I don’t know how else to do it.”

Anthony Rendon is day to day with back soreness.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) September 9, 2024

At 34, Rendon has been sidelined frequently due to a range of injuries, including issues with his hip, wrist, shin, and hamstring. In comparison, his current back injury seems like a minor setback.

When Rendon returns, it will mark his 58th game of the season, matching his highest total since joining the Angels. During the 2020 season, shortened by the pandemic, Rendon managed to play in 52 of the 60 games. Since then, he’s been on the field for only about 33 percent of the Angels’ games.

Rendon is currently in the fifth year of his seven-year, $245 million contract.

When asked if he had any ideas on how to prevent these issues from persisting over the last two years of his contract, Rendon didn’t have an answer. However, he is taking recommendations.

“No idea,” he said. “If you have any recommendations, I’ll take them. I feel like I’ve exhausted every blood test, DNA test, food, nutrition, allergies, anti-inflammatory stuff. And I have no idea. Everything that’s not a banned substance.”

Rendon isn't sure if he will be the player he was with the Washington Nationals but he isn't giving up.

“It’s hard to say, because it’s been so long, battling injuries and surgeries for this long,” Rendon acknowledged. “I’m not getting any younger, but I’m going to continue to fight my ass off till I’m done.”

Frustration is mounting as he gets older and realizes that he has to adapt instead of looking back.

“It’s frustrating not being able to be the man that I once was or to be the player that I once was,” he said. “I gotta try to keep persevering, keeping fighting my ass off.”

With the Angels, Rendon has posted a .717 OPS. That number has steadily decreased each year, falling to .575 this season. He has yet to hit a home run in 238 plate appearances this year. Over his entire time with the Angels, Rendon has hit 22 home runs.