The Los Angeles Angels recently placed Anthony Rendon on the injured list for a groin strain, but good news out of Triple-A could spell the return of first baseman Jared Walsh as he continues to improve in his rehab.
Rendon’s groin strain isn’t initially feared to be anything serious, and the 32-year-old believes he won’t require more than some time off.
Walsh on the other hand is on the return path, and in four games with the Salt Lake Bees, he’s posted a 1.281 on-base plus slugging with six hits in his last 11 at-bats. After his three-hit performance on Tuesday, which included his first home run of the year, all signs point to good things for the 29-year-old if he’s truly over the unfortunate medicals that sidelined him.
Angels manager Phil Nevin expressed optimism for Walsh’s activation but again gave pause and wouldn’t put a definitive timeline on anything, via Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“I couldn’t give you how many days he’s going to be down there,” Nevin said. “I’m going to kind of leave it up to him because he’s been out a little bit and what the injury is or the reason he was not playing.”
The insomnia and persistent headaches Walsh dealt with required him to visit a special treatment center and as it goes with ailments you can’t see, patience is required.
On the baseball front, Walsh’s addition to the Angels roster would certainly bring a needed power presence from the left-hand side. Among first base options Nevin has slotted in, they’ve posted a collective 83 wRC+, which ranks 24th in Major League Baseball.
What to expect from Jared Walsh
When Walsh is ready to return, the Angels should use his Spring Training and rehab data as a decent barometer for what to look out for. The hope is his medicals stay up and the breakout .970 OPS he posted in the 2020 season and 29 home run guy in 2021 is who he is and still has the potential to be.
All signs point to that being a strong possibility when he’s at his peak, and the Angels could sure use another staple piece at the opposite corner of Rendon.
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