The Los Angeles Angels received some updates on Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward, both of which are key bats and their absences are undoubtedly impacting the performance of the team during their rough stretch.
Rendon has been on the shelf since May 28 and after being cleared to return to baseball activities, has slowly begun to work back into the fold to provide a clearer picture of when he could return. Rendon was originally placed on the 10-day injured list due to wrist inflammation.
Prior to the injury, Rendon posted a .242 batting average with five home runs, and according to J.P. Hoornstra of the O.C. Register, his return timeline is still a bit unclear:
Anthony Rendon took ground balls at third base without making a throw, the latest step in his progress back from inflammation in his right wrist.
“That doesn’t bother his injury, so he was out there taking ground balls,” Maddon said. “There’s really no strong sense of when he’s going to be able to be back.”
Ward has not played since June 3 because of tightness in his right hamstring, and in 38 games this season he’s slashed .333/.443/.644 with 10 home runs in 158 plate appearances. He has been one of the best hitters in baseball and the injury to his hamstring has hindered his ability to provide protection for Mike Trout, who is also in a torrential slump of his own.
The outfielder, however, is making progress in his recovery:
Outfielder Taylor Ward hasn’t tried jogging, but he said his sore right hamstring no longer causes him pain while walking. Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday.
Ward was also trying to work through a neck stinger when he hurt his hamstring, which also impacted his shoulder, but he said its status was around 70%.
Angels Fire Joe Maddon
The Angels fired manager Joe Maddon and announced Phil Nevin has been named as the club’s interim manager.
The decision to fire Maddon comes after the team lost 12 straight games which dropped them back to 8.5-games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and 1.5-games out of a Wild Card spot. The Halos had a hot start to the season and sat in the top Wild Card spot on May 24 when they were 27-17; the team is now 27-29.
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