Anthony Rendon going to the IL hurts but is different than in years past

The Los Angeles Angels did what was expected after we found out Anthony Rendon was hurt. They placed him on the Injured List. While the player they promoted would not have been my first, second, or third choice, the Angels should still be mostly fine.

Losing Anthony Rendon is never a good thing. Unfortunately, it's something Angels fans have become far too accustomed with. Since arriving in Anaheim back in 2020, Rendon has played in 187 out of a possible 425 games. The 2019 World Series champion has played in just 44% of the team's games since signing a contract worth $245 million.

In years past, Rendon's injuries have played a huge role in the team sinking. They simply did not have enough offense outside of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani to survive. This season, however, the Angels prepared for this. The team should be fine as long as it doesn't linger for months.

Losing Anthony Rendon hurts the LA Angels but the team should be fine without him

It goes without saying the Angels are a better team with than without Anthony Rendon. The power has disappeared, but he's still hitting over .300 with a .415 OBP, and has driven in 20 runs. Rendon has been arguably the clutchest hitter in the Angels lineup all season, so losing him is less than ideal.

Knowing Rendon's lengthy injury history, Perry Minasian planned for this. He knew it was unrealistic that Rendon would last the entire season without needing at least a short stint on the IL, so the Angels began the season flooded with infield depth.

On the roster right now, the Angels have Luis Rengifo, Gio Urshela, and Brandon Drury who can all play third base. The position should be Urshela's virtually every day, but they have actual MLB players who can fill in at the hot corner.

Last season, the Angels had to rely on guys like Andrew Velazquez, Tyler Wade, and Matt Duffy among others to not only replace Rendon, but other injured infielders. Minasian made it a point to acquire proven MLB hitters to fill in, and now we'll see that pay off.

All that matters with Rendon out is the Angels stay afloat in the playoff race. I don't expect them to be better without him than they are with him, but this shouldn't completely sink them like previous years.

The Angels were 26-19 with Rendon last season before he went to the Injured List. They went 51-68 without him before he returned for the final two games of the season. Rendon won't be out that long, and the Angels should be fine without him with MLB-caliber players available to fill in.