OC Register: Angels’ Anthony Rendon says his health is ‘like night and day’

[AngelsWin.com]

TEMPE, Ariz. — Anthony Rendon’s two seasons with the Angels have not been what the team or he had hoped, with one season shortened by the pandemic and the second by injuries.

If Angels fans are still waiting to see a full season of the real Rendon, he has a suggestion for them.

“Maybe they can go back and look at some tape,” he quipped Wednesday.

The best-case scenario would be for Rendon, 31, to finally have a full season with the Angels similar to those “on tape.” His years with the Washington Nationals were good enough to earn him a seven-year, $245-million contract with the Angels.

Being healthy is certainly a good start.

Rendon had hip surgery in August. He said he’s been hitting since November, and able to run full speed since January.

“It’s like night and day,” Rendon said. “I don’t feel anything stabbing me in the groin any more, so that’s good.”

Rendon was on the injured list three times last season with what seemed to be minor injuries. He hurt his quad in April, fouled a ball off his knee in May and suffered a hamstring injury in July. After the rehab from the hamstring injury took longer than expected, Rendon finally learned that there was an underlying problem that contributed not only to the injuries, but to his ineffectiveness in between.

He had a right hip impingement.

“I knew something was wrong,” Rendon said. “But everything said that it was clean. It was kind of a good relief, the monkey off your shoulder, realizing they found something wrong.”

Rendon hit .240 with a .712 OPS in 58 games last season, which he subsequently attributed to the trouble with his lower half. He said he couldn’t be himself defensively either, because it was difficult for him to “sink into his legs” in the proper position at third.

Now, there is again hope that the Angels can get a healthy, effective Rendon. He hit .286 with a .915 OPS in the shortened 2020 season, finishing 10th in MVP voting. Over his final three years with the Nationals, he had a .953 OPS and he averaged 28 homers.

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If that guy plays regularly in a lineup with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout – they were together for only 17 games last season – the Angels will fare much better offensively.

“If we’re out there at the same time, I think obviously we will be better,” Rendon said. “Hopefully that can happen this year.”

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[jsnpritchett]

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, AngelsWin.com said:

"I don’t feel anything stabbing me in the groin any more, so that’s good.”

I don't need surgery to know that.

[DMVol]

"Best shape of my life".....

[tdawg87]

In before 

[jsnpritchett]

[tdawg87]

https://youtu.be/Hwvx8n8JaVs

[AngelsFaninGA]

Day and night, where the day and night take place in winter in Alaska

[Justin]

Reminding us of his numbers when he was on a previous team, as if that means a damn thing to Angels fans. 

Now where have I heard this before? 

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Justin said:

Reminding us of his numbers when he was on a previous team, as if that means a damn thing to Angels fans. 

Now where have I heard this before? 

[Angelsfan1984]

9 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

[HanfordGuy]

 

[HanfordGuy]

36 minutes ago, AngelsFaninGA said:

Day and night, where the day and night take place in winter in Alaska

[jsnpritchett]

[Second Base]

[Slegnaac]

7 hours ago, Justin said:

Reminding us of his numbers when he was on a previous team, as if that means a damn thing to Angels fans. 

Now where have I heard this before? 

Strange how some players seem to have no knowledge or appreciation of MLB history.

[Taylor]

[fan_since79]

19 hours ago, AngelsWin.com said:

“I don’t feel anything stabbing me in the groin any more..."

At least for the moment. 

Crossing my fingers for few good months out of him this year.

 

[Stradling]

18 hours ago, Justin said:

Reminding us of his numbers when he was on a previous team, as if that means a damn thing to Angels fans. 

Now where have I heard this before? 

Ok how bout being 2nd in the AL in 2020 as an Angel

[Taylor]

8 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Ok how bout being 2nd in the AL in 2020 as an Angel

I like Rondon Rendon, but it is pretty dickish to have the attitude he did in that interview. He could have just said something like, "I'm excited for a full season with the Angels, too. I have a lot of great baseball left to play."

[tdawg87]

5 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I like Rondon

Very sad.

[Taylor]

1 minute ago, tdawg87 said:

Very sad.

I've made the "rondons" reference so many times that my phone now autocorrects to it.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

I've made the "rondons" reference so many times that my phone now autocorrects to it.

You’re welcome. 

[Justin]

23 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Ok how bout being 2nd in the AL in 2020 as an Angel

If he was referring to his OBP in 52 games in 2020, that's even more Pujolsian than I originally thought. 

[Taylor]

Lol @ Pujolsian.