3 LA Angels players who are no longer worth defending

During the early days of the regular season, it can be easy to give underperforming players a pass. Despite getting the opportunity to ramp up during spring training, some guys require a little more time to shake off the rust.

However, after a few weeks, the sample size starts getting larger, and the defenses for poor performance become more and more flimsy. Past track records matter here, too. A guy like Mike Trout will get a longer runway to snap out of an early-season funk than a player with a lesser resume, for example.

While the Angels as a whole have gotten into a slump over the past handful of games, some guys haven't clicked at all yet this season, and for three of these players, it's getting to the point where it's impossible to keep defending them.

With Zach Neto's return on the horizon, some decisions will have to be made. Others may not directly be impacted by the star shortstop's return, however, they have reached a point where they have proven their likelihood of contributing to a competitive effort is slim.

Simply put, these three players need to turn it around now, as they are quickly running out of defenses for their poor performances.

Tim Anderson is running out of excuses with the Angels

Signed as a minor league free agent, it initially appeared that Tim Anderson would have a tough road to actually make the Angels' opening day roster. However, as spring training kicked off, he quickly became a favorite of manager Ron Washington.

Anderson's spot on the roster was all but guaranteed despite a lackluster performance in spring training. He started opening day and inexplicably batted fifth. Since then, he's become the de facto starting shortstop in Neto's absence.

Context is important when discussing Anderson. A former two-time All-Star and the 2019 American League batting champ, the 31-year-old is a long way removed from his past glory. In 2023, his last year with the White Sox, Anderson batted just .245/.286/.296, which was good for a wRC+ of just 60.

In 2024, he landed with the lowly Miami Marlins and was somehow worse. In 65 games and 241 dreadful plate appearances, he slashed .214/.237/.226 for a putrid 27 wRC+ before being unceremoniously released.

Through 15 games so far with the Angels, he's somehow been even worse. Anderson has managed just a .171/.227/.195 23 wRC+ line and has been a black hole every time he steps into the batter's box.

Sure, he's been good defensively, but after two-plus years of bottom-of-the-barrel performance, his leash shouldn't be long, and so far this season, he's done nothing to show that he's still worth defending.

The Angels have other glove-first infielders they can use in a reserve role when Neto comes back in the form of Nicky Lopez and Kevin Newman, neither of whom has gotten the volume of opportunities Anderson has so far.

After a rash of injuries and other struggles, it has become clear who Tim Anderson is at this point in his career, and he's not someone that is worth continuing to defend.