Injuries have held this duo back in recent years.
Both Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon finished the season on the injured list in what’s unfortunately been a familiar story for the Halos over the past few years.
The duo are among the highest-paid players in the entire sport and Halos GM Perry Minasian mentioned their collective health as key factors for the team’s success in 2024.
“There’s no secret here; we need Mike Trout and we need Anthony Rendon,” Minasian said. “We need those guys to play more. They know that. It’s something that we’ve talked about. They’re going to go in the offseason and they’re going to do everything they can in their power to be ready to go next year. They understand what they mean to this club, and how productive they can be on and off the field.
via Jeff Fletcher, OC Register
Trout and Rendon went down in the same July series against the Padres just when Shohei Ohtani experienced what life could be like with some superstar help around him.
Playoff hopes quickly diminished after Trout’s broken hamate bone and Rendon’s bone bruise turned fractured leg sidelined both players for the rest of the regular season.
That left the burden on Shohei Ohtani’s shoulders to carry the lackluster roster to the postseason mostly by himself due to his prowess on the plate and the mound.
Unfortunately, the Japanese superstar failed to complete a healthy season after fatigue turned into a significant elbow injury to end his own 2023 campaign on the mound.
Ohtani continued to hit without his third baseman and center fielder in the lineup alongside him, but an oblique injury marked the end of his MVP campaign as a whole with over 20 games to go.
This year’s WBC MVP is now a free agent and without confirmation about his next move, Trout and Rendon’s health becomes even more paramount to Anaheim for 2024 and beyond.
