The Angels announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Ehire Adrianza. Adrianza will take the place of third baseman Anthony Rendon on the active roster, as Rendon is headed to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Meanwhile, right-hander Robert Stephenson was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Adrianza on the club’s 40-man roster. MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger first reported that Adrianza was likely to replace Rendon on the club’s roster last night.
Adrianza, 34, will now participate in the 12th big league season of his career. The veteran made his big league debut with the Giants back in 2013 and made intermittent appearances with the club as a utility infielder off the bench, remaining the the club for four seasons despite a meager .220/.292/.313 slash line at the big league level. Despite that lackluster offense, Adrianza earned his role in San Francisco with his versatility, which allowed him to cover all four infield positions, as well as his switch-hitting, high-contact bat that allowed him to strike out just 18.1% of the time despite a 72 wRC+.
Prior to the 2017 season, Adrianza found himself designated for assignment by the Giants and eventually made his way to the Twins on waivers. He’d spend the next four seasons in Minnesota receiving far more regular playing time, and earned his expanded role by taking a small step forward with the bat. In 312 games with the Twins from 2017 to 2020, Adrianza slashed a decent .253/.317/.377 (86 wRC+) while posting a 19.1% strikeout rate against an 8% walk rate. The switch-hitter also expanded his defensive resume while in Minnesota, spending time at both outfield corners and even making a mop-up appearance on the mound in addition to his work around the infield.
After hitting free agency for the first time following the 2020 season, Adrianza signed with the Braves on a minor league deal ahead of what would become a career year of the infielder. The then-31-year-old made appeared in 109 games with Atlanta that year, slashing a respectable .247/.327/.401 with an excellent 10% walk rate against a 20.1% strikeout rate in 209 plate appearances while splitting time between shortstop, all three outfield spots, second base, and third base. Adrianza went on to appear on the club’s postseason roster that fall and earned a ring with the club when they won the 2021 World Series.
Things have taken a turn for the worse for the veteran in recent years, however. He’s appeared in just 42 big league games since the end of the 2021 campaign, slashing a putrid .159/.248/.187 in 121 combined plate appearances for the Nationals and Braves amid elbow and shoulder injuries. He caught on with the Angels this past winter on a minor league deal in spite of those injury and ineffectiveness issues in recent years, reuniting with former Braves third base coach and current Halos manager Ron Washington in the process. With Anaheim, Adrianza figures to provide the club with depth off the bench all around the infield, where the club is currently utilizing a combination of Nolan Schanuel, Brandon Drury, Miguel Sano, Zach Neto, and Luis Rengifo.
In doing so, Adrianza will take the roster spot of Rendon, who was pulled from yesterday’s game in the top of the first inning due to a hamstring strain. Now the soon to be 34-year-old veteran will head to the injured list once again after making frequent trips to the shelf in recent years that have limited him to just 219 total games since he signed a seven-year deal with the Halos during the 2019-20 offseason. Rendon had begun to heat up in recent weeks with a solid .357/.413/.411 slash line in his last 63 trips to the plate but now will be forced out of the lineup for the time being, though no timetable has been specified for his return to action.
Making room for Adrianza on the 40-man roster is Stephenson, whose placement on the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise after the club announced earlier this week that the right-hander would miss the entire 2024 season due to an elbow injury. It’s Stephenson’s first year with the Angels, and he remains under contract for two more seasons after this one with a club option on his services for the 2027 campaign.
The fact this guy can’t hit his weight shouldn’t bother anyone. He’ll fit in nicely with the rest of this group of hapless bats.
Unfortunate to see the word putrid to describe any major league player.
yes, but its very funny
Anaheim turns to Ehire. Rendon should turn to LinkedIn. Rendon only hit well for a few days because the eclipse nullified the curse.
A 12 year career? Two WS rings? Never would have guessed it back when this no hit good glove scrawny little guy from Venezuela showed up.
Anything to prevent Rengifo from playing defense is a massive win.
fwiw, Rengifo was a far superior player to Rendon last year offensively and defensively. It should also be noted that Rengifo is faster than Rendon and played six positions defensively while Rendon only played one. In a small sample size, Rengifo also has a better OAA than Rendon this year and is tied with platinum glove award winner Matt Chapman.
@angels nl. Stats is one thing but rengifo trips over his feet on a routine grounder. Rendon hasn’t played more than 50 games the last 3 years it’s easy to say rengifo is a better hitter. You must not watch the games. Here’s a new stat rengifo is the first player in the mlb to play every position and suck at every one, and you can’t put him as dh because he might fall off the bench.
Rengifo’s 112 OPS+ vs Rendons 89 OPS+ feels like a pretty important stat – 12% better than league average vs 11% worse than league average is a wide gulf. Also, the fact that Rendon has only played 219 games since 2019 may not be the best defense of his poor hitting. Some may argue playing 219 games over the past 4+ seasons while collecting $38 million per year is not ideal.
@a nl west are you seeing rengifo being responsible for the two guys on base right now dove early neto was able to block it, the next play had a error. He does it every game makes blunders that now cause two runs to score did it in the rays second series. I’ll give you the bat part but he’s unplayable on the field
That’s his third error in the last two games. His throw from third yesterday in the first missed first base by about 20 feet.
@angelsfan1968 that’s why he wasn’t playing much to start the season is my guess Washington was preaching accountability in the pre season. It’s also what’s recorded as a error because he makes mental gaffes like throwing to the wrong base or diving early all the time as well I don’t care if he is hitting .355 since August if he costs the angels game by extending innings. Should’ve kept soto and shipped him out.
Rengifo made his first two errors of the season the last two games while playing SS, 3B and 2B in the past 24 hours. And since some here like looking at small sample sizes, Rengifo’s OBP was .750 today.
@angels & nl west I don’t care what the stat sheet says, the rays announcers were saying the rays seem to be targeting rengifo early in the game, and that should be a routine grounder doesn’t matter if he has zero errors just watch him, and prove me wrong. The rays know him because he was in the system wouldn’t surprise me if that was in their gameplay since the organization is very savvy.
Rengifo is a MVP. Most vulnarable phielder!
… and despite all his faults, and that he plays 6 positions, Rengifo still grades out as a better fielder than Rendon. And to think, some on this site used to think it was unfair to Adell that he played LF and RF.
Plays 6 positions? He plays zero positions. That’s the problem.
How was that throw by Rendon an error on Rendon. When I was in T-Ball I field that throw.
Take it up with Madden, Nevin and Washington… and isn’t Washington the defensive infield “guru.” I guess the Angels last three managers, with over 100 years in baseball, see something you aren’t seeing.
Rengifo is Minasian’s favorite or as it seems. Any other GM would have traded or cut him 2 seasons ago.
Rengifo is apparently a favorite of Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman as he reportedly tried to trade for Rengifo a couple years ago. I guess Friedman’s a dumb GM just like Madden, Nevin and Washington are dumb managers because they have all deployed Rengifo around the diamond.
All three only played him when they had to. I doubt any of them thinks he’s a competent defensive player.
Why do you?
I never said Rengifo is a competent defensive player. I simply said he is better than Rendon offensively and defensively as measured by commonly accepted baseball stats – OPS+ and OAA. I’m simply using facts, and 100+ years of baseball experience by Madden, Nevin and Washington, to provide a counterpoint to MLBTR commenter opinions.
Yea, angel fans are so angry and frustrated about the last decade we almost immediately jump to the worst. Giif has been one of our better hitters. The only real crime is that Adell isnt getting daily starts to get comfortable over Hicks or Moniak. Its insane.
Who cares? Rengifo is a rotten defensive player. Four percent range last year. He was a horrid hitter for four of the six months and only someone ignorant would apply a lot of value to 2 or 3 months of a 20+ month career.
Hopefully the Angels can find a dumb GM and trade him. And by the way, go look at his stat cast page. But honestly, I doubt you could find it, and I doubt it would mean anything to you.
Last time I checked a 112 OPS+ was pretty good, but maybe you know better than Bill James & company.
As I said, you are incapable of looking at his stat cast page.
One percent xWOBA, and Barrels. Three percent chase,
It’s unsustainable. But you would know that if you paid attention.
Guaranteed if they had adrainza at second the inning would’ve been over and a 0-0 game and trout would’ve had a opportunity to crash into the wall. Cool he can go 2-3, and give up two runs with his two left feet. It’s not fantasy baseball.
If we had anyone competent playing in place of Rengifo, we’d be a 500 team. I’ve never seen a player blow that many games in a single week.
The Angels run diferrential is -17 and they have given up 7 or more runs in 8/22 games so I’m thinking there’s more in play here than just Rengifo who’s only played 18 games. Could Rendons 0/21 slump have played a role? Perhaps starting pitchers giving up 4 or 5 runs in the opening innings has played a role? Maybe the bullpen has played a role in the Angels start?
You are not watching then. How many runs has Rengifo allowed just this week alone? Ten, twelve?
Three today. Was it six or seven yesterda? The throw by Rendon. Three plays up the middle. Twelve is a low estimate.
I fear I struck a nerve. I will defer to the 100+ years of baseball experience accumulated by the past three Angels managers who keep writing Rengifo’s name on the lineup card.
This started from halo11fan saying anything to prevent rengifo from playing defense/ seeing time on the field. Where’s madden, and Nevin now. As far as Washington he was benching rengifo early in season. Not saying he’s a bad hitter but he’s definitely not a protypical dh so what is he. Angels have problems and they need to keep the young players,trout, Rendon by default and hit the reset button.
The GOAT has returned.
You know it’s a utility player when mop up duty is listed on the resume haha
Still a really good career. Thought he was done a couple years ago
The complete lack of anything resembling depth is already evident.
@halosheavenjj should’ve kept Soto. He was playing 3b in triple a
The Baffling Quotation of the Season, from Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval, about Anthony Rendon and his latest injury:
““It’s gut-wrenching,” Sandoval said. “That guy means a lot to this team. To see him work his way back from all these injuries and the work ethic he has, the passion for the game that he has and the passion he has as a leader for this team and helping everyone here, it’s gut-wrenching.”
It’s the first anyone has heard about Rendon’s “passion for the game” and “leadership” since Rendon’s remarks that ““This [playing baseball] has never been a top priority,” Rendon said. “This is a job. I do this to make a living.”
all the quotes to come out of angels’ camp, all spring, showed this side of rendon. the kids, namely moniak and neto, talked about his mentorship as a positive as well. this is not the first anyone has heard of rendon’s good qualities, but the first time it has slipped through your preferred media narrative.
It seems like way too many Angles fans only count on Sam Blum for news.
Too many people are have the minds of Zombies. They think the same way talking heads want them to think.
Is it “preferred media narrative” to point out AR’s alleged “passion for the game” versus his “it’s only a job” stance?
One of these things … is not like the other.
Stick to your own preferred narrative.
I wrote in another thread that Gale Sayers is canonized for writing the book, “ I Am Third”, where football is not in the top three, and Rendon is demonized for saying it.
Too many people are brain dead sheep and think the way a talking head wants them to think. It’s why so many of these talking head ideologues have viewers.
I don’t even know who Gayle Sayers is or why that example is even revelant. And how does taking the man’s own quotes at face value plus his antics off the field constitute following some media narrative or being told what to think by a talking head??? Talk about a straw man argument.
NFL hall of fame running back who must have played before you were born.
Well at least Rendon gave it a try. Even stole a base. Not that it would’ve made much difference. Other than taking extra bases, Trout’s swing, and O Hoppe’s defense, the Halos look the same as last year. Neto should take a cue from Volpe and change his swing. And Schanuel’s looks the same too. Everyone needs to add a new wrinkle to their game coming into the new year. It seems like the pitchers made the adjustments but they didn’t so the offense looks bleak for the year. Pitchers look like they’re still not allowed to shake off a pitch except for Anderson. And that comes from the front office. I gotta imagine some pitchers don’t care for that.
A very good observation. It seems the worst GM is still medling with players and coaches.
Would anyone care to make an over/under guess on the number of games Rendon will play this season?
My guess: 75
I don’t think the injury bug is any higher than normal years but it sure feels like it.
Waiting for Rendon to find a doctor to say it’s a career ending hamstring injury as he smiles to the bank.
Good news, he’s a good sparkplug that comes through when asked. He might provide more than the expensive brand he’s replacing.
How long do you think Rendon is gonna milk this trip to the IL? Two to three months for a hamstring strain is my guess. The guy is made of glass and doesn’t want to play. He loves being on the IL and getting paid huge money, sucking the Angels dry, for doing nothing. Prove me wrong Rendon. Take the normal 7-10 days off for the strained hammy and get back out there earn your darn paycheck.
@angelsfan wouldn’t surprise if he already pre-planned a family trip, and I don’t think he’s made of glass just doesn’t care. But atleast the angels didn’t sign Strasburg.
As AR’s apologist, Pohle is likely to jump on your comment.
SELL IT ARTE MORENO SELL THE ANGELS
ARTE COCONUT MORENO HARDHEADED
Wanted to buy: a major league first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, right fielder, DH, 4 starting pitchers and 7 relievers. Then we’re all set!!!
I hope Rendon is able to be back with the Angels playing at least .500 baseball or better. This team if healthy has a chance to surprise the baseball world and get hot in late summer leading into the playoffs. They definitely need to stay healthy and keep building that teamwork! Rendon would be clutch in the playoffs!
I used to go to 40 or so game a season and watch 90% of the rest on cable. It was a big part of my summer routine. I hardly watched at all last season and this year I haven’t watched a single play. Morbid curiosity lead me to check the standings after a month….same old song and dance.
I see the same shill is here spam posting his Moreno PR nonsense. It’s never the organization’s fault…..
Oh well, gonna have to find other interests until the team gets decent ownership. Until then, I take satisfaction that Moreno hasn’t gotten a penny from me the last few seasons.
Arte Moreno has to wear a bag over his head so he doesn’t get booed