Angels Have Return Date in Mind for Anthony Rendon

Rendon landed on the injured list again on July 30.

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon is set to make his return to the field on Tuesday as the Angels face the New York Yankees. The Angels are off on Monday, and Rendon will join them as they head back on the road to New York.

While Rendon is returning, he is not expected to return to the leadoff spot at first. Angels manger Ron Washington would not say whether or not Rendon would become the leadoff batter again at any point this season, via Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register.

Anthony Rendon is on the field taking ground balls right now. The plan is for him to be active on Tuesday.

Washington said he won’t return to the leadoff spot initially. Whether he gets back there later remains to be seen. “We’ll see how it goes,” Washington said.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 4, 2024

Rendon was placed on the injured list on July 30, the second time this season he landed on the list as he dealt with back inflammation. This time Rendon's stay on the IL was much shorter, and Rendon last played on July 26 during the Angels' loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Earlier this season, Rendon landed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain, and was moved to the 60-day IL on May 9. He last played at the time on April 20, and then returned on July 8.

When Rendon returned in July, he struggled as he slashed .170/.237/.226 with nine hits, four runs, and three RBIs through 13 games. Overall this season, Rendon is .227/.289/.273 with 29 hits, 13 runs, six RBIs, four stolen bases, and no home runs in 33 games.

Rendon will once again fail to play in 100 games with the Angels this season. Rendon, who signed with the Angels on a seven-year, $245 million extension in Dec. 2019, has yet to play a full season or even 100 games since joining the Angels. He has not played 50 games in a season for the Angels since 2021.

The 34-year-old has frequently dealt with injuries, missing time due to a groin strain, wrist surgery, and suspensions since arriving in Anaheim.

The 2019 All-Star and World Series champion has yet to realize his potential since joining the Angels after a promising career with the Washington Nationals. Instead, the Rendon signing remains one of the team's biggest free agent busts.

Since Rendon returned to the IL, first baseman Nolan Schanuel has taken over the leadoff spot in the lineup. Schanuel was also previously the Angels' primary leadoff hitter when Rendon was on the IL for the first time.

The 22-year-old Schanuel is slashing .251/.344/.374 with 92 hits, 44 runs, 11 home runs, and 38 RBIs in 104 games. Washington might not be keen on the idea of moving his young first baseman down in the lineup anytime soon.