Tim Anderson, one of the free agent fliers the Angels have taken recently, needs to play with fire to maximize his on-field production. At his peak, he played with pizzazz, swagger, and an unmatched energy on the field. Anderson lost his passion due to serious injuries, and both on and off the field happenings that affected his mental health from 2022-2024. The infielder spoke openly on the "Foul Territory" program about his physical and mental health struggles he experienced, and why he will be a better player in 2025 after clearing those hurdles.
Tim Anderson says that he lost the feel for hitting after a hand injury, but seems ready to rake again in 2025 💥 pic.twitter.com/tw5RpX0N7H
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 29, 2025
The former White Sox and Marlins infielder cited past injuries to his hand and MCL as the reasons for why he lost his "feel" at the plate. He's had ample time to recover from his physical maladies, but the injuries have certainly piled up for Anderson. Hopefully his prolonged absence from the game will enable him to come into camp looking fresh, reinvigorated, and more like his old self athletically.
As for the mental side, it's not rare at all for professional athletes to bring their baggage onto the field. The 31-year-old claims that being away from the game following his July release from Miami allowed him to regain his hunger for competing at the highest level. Hardships, both on and off the field, can lead players down a difficult path, but Anderson says he's back to "square one" and "excited" entering the 2025 campaign. He also mentioned that he's had productive conversations with Ron Washington. Anderson's assurances that the mental health issues he's experienced the last few years are in the past should be taken at face value by Angels fans.
Anderson was brought in on a minor league deal, and is not currently on the Angels' 40 man roster. He would need the Angels to DFA somebody, or Robert Stephenson to be moved back to the 60-day injured list, if he were to be added and subsequently compete for a spot on the major league roster.
He will likely be battling Scott Kingery for a bench role, but Kingery currently has the upper hand given that he is on the 40-man and has more positional versatility. He will also need to beat out the player every Angels fan wants to see on the Opening Day roster in Christian Moore. Perhaps if the Angels want to finally cut ties with Anthony Rendon, Anderson could take his spot on both the 40-man and major league roster?
What will likely end up happening is Anderson will break spring training with the AAA team, but Angels fans should keep a close eye on "T.A." to see if what he said pans out. Bringing him came at no risk for the Angels. There's only upside here for the club. Only time will tell if he can actually reclaim some of his past glory on the diamond, but hopefully his fire is back and the Angels' plan bears fruit.