Anthony Rendon had been on the bench, watching as his team bumbled around .500 over the last three weeks. The Angels entered their matchup with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at 31-30.
Reinstated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s 7-4 win, Rendon answered earnestly when asked whether his team feels heightened pressure to produce more wins and catch up in the standings.
“No, not really,” Rendon said. “Because to be honest, this organization sucked for so long. We haven’t made the playoffs in a long time and I take that burden too, even if I wasn’t there for those years.
“I came into this organization and I want to win and we all want to win,” he continued. “That’s what everyone wants to tell you. There’s no extra pressure. We just need to win now.”
It has not been all bad. Through their struggles, like the instances of starting pitchers faltering, the bullpen unraveling at the worst possible moments or defensive miscues or errors, some of which are attributed to Rendon (seven errors in 2023), the Angels are seventh in the American League.
The Angels are four games out of a wild-card spot, nine games behind the first-place Texas Rangers and third in the AL West.
“We gotta do the little things,” Rendon said. “Little things add up to big things. I always tell these guys, ‘Hey, we gotta get at least, at a minimum 15 wins a month,’ You do the math… We’re gonna have a good chance at the end of the season to be in the hunt, to be able to play in October.
“We haven’t been playing the best, but we’ve hit the bare minimum. I need to push these guys a little bit more to at least get at least maybe 16 or 17 wins [a month], so just gotta keep grinding.”
His assessment was blunt but not accusatory. Rendon is as driven as the rest of his team and wants to win and contribute however he can.
When the Angels were fitting together the pieces of their puzzle in the offseason, Rendon factored heavily into the team’s plans, not just for what he does on the field, but also for what he offers off of it.
Angels’ Anthony Rendon smiles during batting practice before a game against the Houston Astros on June 2 in Houston.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
An All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, not to mention one of few players in the clubhouse who has won a World Series, Rendon is a respected leader because his advice and input come from experience.
It’s why some of the youngest players call him a role model. Rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe once said “When Tony talks, I listen.” And rookie shortstop Zach Neto considers Rendon like a big brother.
Rendon’s mistakes on the field and slow offensive production were to be expected, considering he hasn’t played close to a full season since 2019, his last season with the Washington Nationals.
The frustration was plain on his face as those struggles played out, but Rendon’s season seemed like it was turning around, his bat heating up at the end of April. His first 15 games, he was batting .235 with a .618 on-base-plus-slugging rate. It improved to .365 with a .946 OPS in his last 15 before hitting the IL.
“If I’m on that field, I put that jersey on, I expect to be perfect. That’s me,” Rendon said. “I want to be the best person out there.”
There are still elements of grace. In his return Tuesday, he knew his contributions would need to be seen before being evaluated.
“We’ll see how long it takes to get back into a groove,” Rendon said. “Hopefully it doesn’t take too long. But yeah, it’s frustrating. I feel like I haven’t played in three years and I come back, start playing a little bit better and this happens. ”
While on the IL for 21 days, Rendon declined sharing his progress with the media. The lengthier IL stint, Rendon explained Tuesday, was the result of trying to work out a game plan to prevent the groin strain he was sidelined with from cropping up again.
Back in the lineup and playing third base, Rendon went 0 for 2 with a walk, coming out of the game after five innings as part of the load management plan manager Phil Nevin had for him going into this season.
In the top of the second, Rendon was unable to make a play on a Seiya Suzuki ground-ball single as he dove to his left, the ball rolling out of his glove. Shortstop Luis Rengifo hurried to scoop up the ball, but his throw to first was not in time. Rendon knelt, rubbing the dirt off his palms.
“Those are plays you can’t practice [in rehab],” Nevin said after the game. “He was upset he couldn’t make the play. … I’m happy with what I saw out there and having him back means a lot to that room.”
Angels rally past Cubs
Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, left, and Mike Trout celebrate after they scored on single by Matt Thaiss against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning on Tuesday at Angel Stadium.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Left-hander Tyler Anderson struggled early in his five-inning start Tuesday at Angel Stadium. He gave up four earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out five over 94 pitches.
All four runs happened in the second inning.
The Angels offense, however, clawed back, particularly in the fifth inning, courtesy of two momentum-changing mistakes made by the Cubs.
Shohei Ohtani got the Angels on the board with his 16th homer, a solo shot in the fourth.
In the fifth, with two on and one out, Rengifo hit what could have been a double-play grounder. The Cubs’ first baseman, Matt Mervis, dropped the ball and didn’t realize he didn’t have it until it was rolling behind him, allowing Rengifo to reach and load the bases. A wild pitch by Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski allowed one run to score. Matt Thaiss and Mike Trout both drove in two runs on singles to center.
Taylor Ward added insurance in the seventh with his seventh home run, a solo shot.
Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his 15th save.
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