Injuries to Ohtani, Simmons Could Derail LA Angels Season

Just when the LA Angels started to look like they were turning things around, the team saw two of their top stars go down with injuries in a matter of a minute.

While the LA Angels were holding onto hope for a comeback win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday, fate had other plans.

With Shohei Ohtani at the plate, the Halos needed one big swing to be back in the game. Undoubtedly, Ohtani was the right guy for that, but he never got the chance.

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Ohtani took a mid-90’s fastball off of his right hand (on a strikeout, nonetheless), and panic struck the Orange County area. After seeing Justin Upton miss so much time to turf toe, any potential injury scares us fans.

However, Ohtani was never pulled from the game, and all seemed well.

Then, true panic settled in.

On a close play at first base, Andrelton Simmons landed awkwardly on his left foot trying to beat the throw. He went down in obvious pain, and had to be helped off the field.

Now, after the game Brad Ausmus said they weren’t overly worried with Ohtani, but that Simmons’ injury was more “dire”. There was no fracture to either player, but Simmons is undergoing an MRI on Tuesday for further diagnosis.

Needless to say, these two injuries are the type that could derail an entire season for the Halos. For years, the pitching staff hasn’t stayed consistently healthy enough for the team to contend. Now, however, the offense could take a significant hit.

If Simmons misses a large amount of time (which seems likely), prospect Luis Rengifo will likely be called right back up to Anaheim. However, while he played solid defense, Rengifo has slashed only .147/.231/.265 in the majors this season.

Another option could be fan favorite Jose Rojas. He is likely restricted to playing only second and third base, but with David Fletcher also in the lineup, he could be moved throughout the defense. Rojas has impressed with his bat in Triple-A, and has been forcing the Angels’ hand for some time in terms of a call-up.

Whoever the Angels decide to replace Simmons with, it will be a huge downgrade. We’re still holding out hope that the injury is simply a sprain and there’s no structural damage, but this team will likely be without Simba for an extended period of time.

And unfortunately, the replacements aren’t very encouraging.