Angels’ Anthony Rendon leaves game against Reds with a hamstring injury
CINCINNATI (AP) – The Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Rendon left Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with a hamstring injury.
The 33-year was limping after legging out an infield single leading off the game. Zach Neto replaced Rendon as a pinch runner.
Rendon is hitting. 257 with three RBIs. He started the season 0 for 19 and has 20 hits since April 5.
An All-Star with Washington in 2019, the third baseman is in the fifth season of a $245 million, seven-year contract. He has not played more than 58 games in any season with the Angels due to a series of injuries.
Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Rendon watches his single off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Phil Maton during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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Elly De La Cruz Has a Ridiculous Ceiling
The Reds star is on pace for 51 homers and 85 stolen bases in 2024.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz made his Major League debut last June and immediately announced himself, at the age of 21, as one of the most exciting players in baseball.
There was some obvious rookie rawness reflected in his stats as he only managed to post a .710 OPS, and his 144 strikeouts in 388 at-bats were an unsustainable pace. Still, the magical moments remained, like when took his time trotting after one of his 13 tape-measure blasts or when he wasted no time at all racing around the basepaths. Baseball fans wondering what his true ceiling could be may be tinkering with already sky-high expectations in the early stages of De La Cruz’s sophomore campaign because, through 19 games, he appears to be more than capable of being one of the most productive young stars in the game.
On Friday night, De La Cruz stole three bases and launched a three-run homer. His slash line sits at .290/.364/1.001. The longball was his sixth of the year and upped his RBI total to 14. He now has a MLB-leading 10 steals and is on pace to swipe 85 for the year. Again, small-sample caveats apply, but that projects to 85 for the entire year — which would be the highest total since Rickey Henderson racked up 93 steals in 1988. Add that to a 51-homer, 119 RBI pace and the allure of a historic offensive explosion is very real.
