Return of Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon could give Angels a lineup to contend with

Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon performed all of 17 video games collectively final season, Trout struggling a season-ending proper calf pressure on Could 17 and Rendon enjoying by minor accidents for 3 months earlier than struggling a season-ending proper hip impingement in early July.

Ohtani, in fact, had a spectacular season, mashing 46 homers and going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 begins on the mound, a two-way efficiency that made him a unanimous option to win the American League Most worthy participant award.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP who hit .291 with a 1.083 on-base-plus-slugging proportion, 45 homers and 104 RBIs in his final full season in 2019, stated he felt “nice” upon reporting to camp this week and has had “no points” with the calf.

Rendon, who hit .319 with a 1.010 OPS, 34 homers and 126 RBIs in his final full season to assist the Washington Nationals win the 2019 World Sequence, underwent hip surgical procedure final August and accomplished his rehabilitation by mid-January.

The distinction between how he feels this spring and final season is “night time and day,” Rendon stated after Wednesday’s exercise. “I don’t really feel anyone stabbing me within the groin anymore, that’s good.”

If Ohtani, Trout and Rendon can keep comparatively wholesome all season, they might kind considered one of baseball’s most deadly middle-of-the-order trios, one which Trout is already starting to ascertain three weeks earlier than opening day.

“It’s screaming lots of enjoyable, particularly on the plate,” Trout stated. “When Anthony is totally wholesome, he’s among the best hitters within the recreation, and to have all three of us collectively … we’ve an ideal group.”

Rendon, 31, signed a seven-year, $245-million cope with the Angels earlier than 2020 and had a stable pandemic-shortened season, batting .286 with a .915 OPS, 9 homers and 31 RBIs in 51 video games.

However 2021 was brutal from the beginning. He suffered a quadriceps damage in April, fouled a ball off his knee in Could and suffered a hamstring pressure in July.

Sluggish to get well from his hamstring damage, Rendon underwent a number of exams that exposed the hip impingement, which hindered him all through a season by which he hit .240 with a .712 OPS, six homers and 34 RBIs in 58 video games.

The accidents affected Rendon within the batter’s field, the place he was unable to rotate his again leg on his swing and generate the mandatory torque in his hips, and within the subject, the place he was unable to sink his proper foot into the bottom to throw and his vary was restricted.

“It took a toll on me mentally as a result of I knew one thing was incorrect, however each MRI, each CT scan, was clear,” Rendon stated. “It was form of a reduction realizing they discovered one thing incorrect. I feel coming again wholesome, my thoughts needs to be good, so now it’s simply form of a daily spring coaching.”

The return of Trout and Rendon will present higher lineup safety for Ohtani, who drew as many walks within the ultimate two months of the season — 48 — as he did within the first 4 months, and will remodel the Angels into AL West contenders.

“We’re making an attempt to play as many video games as doable and be wholesome, and if we’re all on the market on the similar time, I feel clearly that will be higher,” Rendon stated. “So hopefully that may occur this yr.”

Griffin Canning, who was anticipated to compete for the sixth spot within the rotation, suffered a setback in his restoration from a again damage final month and won’t be prepared for opening day. The best-hander, who missed most of 2021 due to a stress fracture in his decrease again, shouldn’t be anticipated to throw off a mound for 4 weeks. … The Angels signed veteran utility infielder Matt Duffy, who hit .287 with 5 homers and 30 RBIs in 97 video games for the Chicago Cubs final season, to a one-year, $1.5-million contract. Duffy, 31, can play all 4 infield spots and left subject. … A revised schedule may have the Angels ending the season with three video games at Oakland on Oct. 3-5 and enjoying doubleheaders at Oakland on Could 14 and at Seattle on June 18 and Aug. 6. … Benji Gill would be the workforce’s first-base coach. … Veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki, signed to a one-year, $1.75-million deal, joined the membership for exercises Wednesday as did nearer Raisel Iglesias, who missed the primary two exercises due to private causes.