Angels 3B Anthony Rendon's injury woes continue with season-ending wrist surgery
The Los Angeles Angels' $245 million man is once again done for the season.
Anthony Rendon will undergo season-ending surgery on his right wrist next week, the team announced Friday.
Update regarding #Angels INF Anthony Rendon:
“Anthony Rendon will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his right wrist early next week. Additional information will be provided as appropriate.”— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) June 17, 2022
Rendon has not played since Tuesday, when he exited a game early after aggravating an injury in his wrist that landed him on the 10-day injured list in late May. He will finish the season with a .228/.324/.383 slash line and five homers in 45 games.
That's not the kind of development you want when you signed the veteran third baseman to a seven-year, $245 million contract as a free agent in the 2019-20 offseason.
Anthony Rendon's contract isn't looking good for the Angels
At the time of his signing, Rendon was among the most reliable hitters in MLB and coming off a championship season with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals opted to let Rendon walk while signing World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg to a virtually identical contract (which also isn't going well).
The 32-year-old Rendon has since played 155 games total for the Angels across three years. The first season (52 games played) was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the second season (58 games) by hip and hamstring injuries and now this season by a wrist injury.
More concerning for the Angels, Rendon hasn't been close to the difference-maker they hoped for even when he has been on the field. He was strong in his first season, garnering a top-10 AL MVP finish in the short season, but has since .235 in two seasons.
The injuries are obviously related to those struggles, but the fact remains Rendon will next play in 2023 with his last good season three years in the rear-view mirror (and his last full one four years away). The Angels are well-aware of how badly a mega-contract can turn out, but at least Albert Pujols still played most of the time.
Losing Rendon gives the team one more hole to fill while trying to make up ground in a playoffs race that was once encouraging. The team currently sits at 30-35 despite holding a 24-14 record this time last month.
