Angels final Opening Day roster choices spark zero surprises but real concern

The Los Angeles Angels finalized their 2026 Opening Day ahead of Thursday's game against the Houston Astros, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, longtime third baseman Anthony Rendon was placed on the 60-day injured list.

Also unsurprising was the placement on Robert Stephenson on the 60-day IL. The Angels' closer didn't throw a single pitch during Cactus League play and had been dealing with elbow inflammation throughout spring training.

The Halos needed some extra space on the 40-man roster in order to select the contracts of non-roster invitees Jeimer Candelario and Adam Frazier. Moving both Rendon and Stephenson to the 60-day IL allowed Los Angeles to do just that. LA also signed left-hander Joey Lucchesi to a contract, and in a corresponding move, designated Jayvien Sandridge for assignment.

Angels finalize Opening Day roster by placing Anthony Rendon, Robert Stephenson on IL

The Angels all but moved on from Rendon this past offseason after agreeing to amend his current contract. Rendon is technically still part of the ball club, but was nowhere Tempe during spring training and isn't expected to show his face in the Angels dugout this season. He's expected to receive the final $38 million of his contract over the next three years.

Rendon's time in Anaheim was marred by injuries and poor performance. After leading the Washington Nationals to the World Series in 2019, he signed a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Halos. In total, he appeared in just 257 games, and never played in more than 60 games in a season. Rendon's contract will go down as one of the worst in baseball history.

As for Stephenson, his placement on the IL was all too predictable, but his story is all too sad. After agreeing to a three-year, $33 million deal in 2024, Stephenson has seen the field just 12 times. He missed all of 2024 with a right shoulder injury and then underwent UCL surgery in 2025. He battled back and returned to the active roster late last season, but ended the year on the IL with elbow inflammation.

But after placing both Rendon and Stephenson on the 60-day IL, the runway was clear to add Frazier and Candelario. Both figure to play prominent roles for the Halos in 2026, though neither player should inspire much confidence.

Frazier is the more accomplished of the two and is expected to share second base duties with Oswald Peraza. Frazier had a terrific spring, and possesses the defensive versatility to play all over the diamond. He's also a left-handed hitter — something LA is lacking on the roster.

Candelario is coming off a down-year in 2025. He was released by the Cincinnati Reds midway through the season and signed with the Angels this past winter. He hit four home runs and posted a .931 OPS in 19 Cactus League games this spring to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster.

The Angels made a handful of minor (and expected transactions) to finish off a flurry of roster moves ahead of Opening Day. Pitchers Ben Joyce, Kirby Yates, Alek Manoah, and Grayson Rodriguez were all placed on the 15-day IL and infielder Vaughn Grissom will begin the year on the 10-day IL with a left wrist sprain. All these moves are retroactive to March 22.