Angels Plagued With Injuries: Trout, Ohtani and Rendon Take a Hit
Trouble in Paradise!
It’s been a rough day for the Los Angeles Angels. Mike Trout, their star outfielder, landed himself a longish stint on the injured list with a busted left wrist. And that’s just the start of their injury woes in the MLB matchup against the San Diego Padres. The Shohei Ohtani injury and the Anthony Rendon injury woke up the stands, too.
Ohtani and Rendon Take a Hit
Adding to the MLB injuries drama, their third baseman, Anthony Rendon, had to quit the game after hurting his leg. He fouled a ball off his shin during the fourth inning, leaving his team with a hefty 8-5 loss. The docs say it’s a shin bruise or contusion – thankfully, the X-rays didn’t show anything more serious.
Then, to make matters worse, their two-for-one superstar, Shohei Ohtani, had to leave, too. After serving up back-to-back home runs, he was benched because of a nasty Ohtani injury (is there any other kind?): a blister on his pitching hand. He’s been having a great season, making the All-Star lineup as both a pitcher and a designated hitter, but that blister might just put a damper on his plans. Not enough to put him in the MLB injury report, but enough to restrict him a bit. An Ohtani injury is no small deal!
Ohtani isn’t too hopeful about his pitching prospects for the upcoming July 11 showcase in Seattle. “I’m planning on not pitching,” he said, although he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of keeping his spot as the starting designated hitter if his hand heals up in time.
“When I came out of the game, I was kind of in the moment, so we will see about going forward the next few days. On the pitching side, I have like nine, 10 days until the next start, so hopefully I will heal in time.” Ohtani
When asked if he thought the blister would put a damper on Ohtani’s batting ability, Nevin stated: “I don’t think so. It’s just the tip of the middle finger, and I think he’s going to be OK.”
Ohtani’s Same-Side Cracked Nail
Ohtani’s start had been pushed back a day because of a cracked nail on the exact same finger where he got the blister. His speed was down on Tuesday, and he exited trailing 5-1. “It was hard for me to put full pressure on it,” said Ohtani.
“It’s my understanding they put an acrylic nail on there because of where it was cracked and it might have just irritated the skin on the side of the finger. It felt like he just didn’t have command of his pitches going into the sixth and we talked about it and he felt good and warmed up and he gave me a thumbs up.” Angels’ manager, Phil Nevin
“It’s my understanding they put an acrylic nail on there because of where it was cracked and it might have just irritated the skin on the side of the finger,” Angels’ manager Phil Nevin declared. “It felt like he just didn’t have command of his pitches going into the sixth and we talked about it and he felt good and warmed up and he gave me a thumbs up.”
Trout’s Return Depends on Recovery
As for Mike Trout, he’s not expecting to be out of action for the whole MLB season, despite his broken hamate bone. He got injured fouling off a pitch on Monday night. This injury might take a few weeks to heal, but he’s optimistic, “I’ve had other guys reach out who’ve had this surgery before or had this injury before…Some guys came back in four weeks; some guys take a little longer just to see how their body heals,” Trout explained.
Trout broke what is known as the hamate -or hook- bone; this is a fracture that happens pretty often among hitters. Despite there being little long-term structural damage, the bone needs to be surgically removed, and this will apparently sideline Mike for the rest of July, and maybe the whole of August.
The Angels are certainly feeling the pinch without Trout, who was set to be an All-Star starter for the 10th time in a row. Trout has had a fantastic season so far, hitting .263 with 18 home runs and 44 RBIs. The loss of their three-time MLB MVP is undoubtedly a massive blow.
Next!
In the meantime, the Angels are calling on Jo Adell as a pinch-hitter. Mickey Moniak and Adell are set to fill in for Trout in center field. This is definitely a chance for these guys to step up to the plate (literally) and show us what they’ve got.
About them, Angels’ manager Phil Nevin said, “It’s time for some guys to step up. There are other guys that are going to get some opportunities. That’s what this game is all about.”
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