Kevin Padlo was the boring but deserving choice to replace the injured Anthony Rendon

After watching Anthony Rendon get hit in the wrist by a Nathan Eovaldi pitch, the hope was that the third baseman wouldn't miss many Los Angeles Angels games. He was able to power through and play third base (even if he couldn't swing the bat) in the finale in Texas before failing to appear in a game in Kansas City.

The Angels were hoping that after sitting out for the weekend Rendon would be able to return to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers. Their hopes vanished when they announced Rendon would be heading back to a place he's become all too familiar with. The Injured List.

With Rendon out, the Angels needed to bring up another infielder. There were three players I felt had the best shots at the spot. Both Livan Soto and Jake Lamb seemed like easy options to bring up because they are both on the 40-man roster. David Fletcher also felt like a deserving candidate, and I don't think any Angels fan would've been upset in the slightest if they did opt to bring him back. Instead, it's a different player who is not on the 40-man and is a lesser known name among the fan base.

LA Angels infielder Kevin Padlo was the boring but correct choice to replace Anthony Rendon

Kevin Padlo is definitely not the player Angels fans wanted to see the most. David Fletcher has been swinging a very hot bat lately in AAA Salt Lake and has been a player fans have been clamoring for in the last couple of weeks.

There are three reasons why I believe the Angels went with Padlo. First, he's a third baseman. Both Anthony Rendon and Gio Urshela, the team's two primary third basemen are on the Injured List, so having a legitimate third baseman around would be a good thing. While Fletcher is an excellent second baseman, his defense on the left side of the diamond isn't nearly as good.

Second, Padlo is here is he's just the higher upside bat. We know what Fletcher is as a contact hitter, and have seen him really struggle in the last couple of seasons at the MLB level. Padlo is a player who can hit for more power and be more impactful. With the bottom of the Angels lineup lacking, I think it makes sense.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Fletcher would've had to clear waivers if he was sent down again. Since Fletcher would only be here for a week or even less, it doesn't make much sense to mess too much with that.

Padlo played a lot in Spring Training and played pretty well, recording six extra-base hits in 36 at-bats including a home run and a triple. He's continued to play well in AAA, slashing .273/.396/.555 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. Numbers from the PCL should be taken with a grain of salt, but Padlo does have a 123 WRC+, a mark higher than Fletcher despite the lower batting average.

Padlo is a guy who has hit 20 home runs in the minors before and just has more to offer upside-wise than Fletcher who doesn't provide much that differs from what Michael Stefanic does.

Hopefully, Rendon is only out the minimum of ten days and Padlo is sent right back down. I don't expect Padlo to get starts at third base over Luis Rengifo anyway.