Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon is still out with an injury that has kept him sidelined since May 13, but his off-field matter has been resolved with good news.
Rendon was involved in a scrum last season with the Seattle Mariners that resulted in a five-game suspension, and earlier this year in a series with the Oakland Athletics another problem sparked up. Following their Opening Day loss, the 32-year-old exchanged words with a fan in a heated interaction.
The Angels’ third baseman attempted to punch a fan, narrowly missing his head. Rendon was suspended four games for the incident, and in the days that followed he and the fan spoke on the phone, exchanging good words.
The final hurdle was the legal one, and according to Sarah Valenzuela of the L.A. Times, Rendon won’t face any charges:
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon will not face charges stemming from an incident with a fan at Oakland Coliseum on March 30. An Oakland Police Department spokesperson said this week, without naming Rendon, the case is closed.
This green light is a welcomed sigh of relief for Rendon and the Angels. After the initial reports of the matter came out, the Police Department heading the matter needed to do their due diligence:
The Police Department investigated a misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor battery, according to a redacted incident report received by The Times. Rendon was not named in the report, but it listed a person wearing an Angels uniform, location and time of the altercation. The police spokesperson also confirmed that no victim ever came forward.
Rendon came out and apologized for the altercation earlier in the season, citing a lack of judgment in the moment:
“My emotions got the best of me,” Rendon told reporters in Seattle after MLB’s suspension was announced. “I’m usually pretty good about interacting with fans … have fun with it. But the gentleman, we spoke on the phone, and we both apologized about what had happened. And so we’re both ready to move forward.”
For the moment, Rendon can put this matter in the past and move on with his season. The biggest hope for the Angels is that these are isolated incidents and won’t snowball into anything more.
Fan sues Angels over errant baseball
The Angels were in the crosshairs of the wrongful death lawsuit filed against them by the family of former player Tyler Skaggs. A lengthy trial rendered a guilty verdict for former staffer, Eric Kay, but the team remains in a difficult spot because of the Skaggs family continuing their fight for justice.
Aside from that, a new civil complaint filed against the team alleges they’re at fault after an errant baseball caused significant injuries. A recent complaint filed described a spectator as being struck in the face by a thrown ball from former Angels outfielder Juan Lagares.
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