The Los Angeles Angels placed Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to a left hamstring strain, adding another chapter to the third baseman’s checkered medical history with the team.
Rendon, 33, came up limping after legging out an infield hit to open the Angels’ game against the host Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
He left the game, with his single raising his batting average to .267 with no home runs, three RBIs and three stolen bases in 19 games. Rendon opened the season by going 0-for-19 in five games before batting .357 (20-for-56) over his past 14 games.
“[I’m feeling] not too great,” Rendon said after the game. “Frustration. Anger. Mad. Any of those adjectives you want to use.”
He said it’s frustrating to be hurt now that he’s heating up at the plate.
“I’m starting to barrel the ball more, and when I didn’t, I was just starting to find holes,” Rendon said. “Like earlier in the season, I was barreling it, and they were catching it. I think that’s the most frustrating part, I was getting into a groove and, of course, this happens.”
Rendon has not played more than 58 games in a season due to a variety of injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic since signing a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels.
Rendon was an All-Star while playing for the Washington Nationals in 2019. He finished third in the National League MVP voting in 2019. That season, he set career highs with a .319 batting average, 34 homers and 126 RBIs, the latter leading the majors along with 44 doubles.
For his career, Rendon is batting .283 with 158 homers and 660 RBIs in 1,135 games.
In a corresponding move Sunday, the Angels selected the contract of veteran infielder Ehire Adrianza from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Adrianza, 34, batted .238 in 616 career games for the San Francisco Giants (2013-16), Minnesota Twins (2017-20), Atlanta Braves (2021-22, 2023) and Nationals (2022).
In another move, right-hander Robert Stephenson. 31, was transferred to the 60-day IL on Sunday. The team had announced Thursday that he will undergo season-ending elbow surgery later this month.
Stephenson, who had signed a three-year contract worth $33 million in January, was placed on the IL on March 28.