ANAHEIM — Anthony Rendon saw the sun Wednesday, even if he has not yet seen the light on when he might play in a game for the Angels again.
Out since April 20 with what was diagnosed as a tear in his left hamstring, the third baseman participated in on-field drills before Wednesday night’s game against the San Diego Padres. He worked on hand-eye coordination fielding drills from his knees before proceeding to ground balls at third base.
The ground balls consisted of firm rollers right at him that did not require any lateral movement. And while he did mimic his footwork for a throwing motion, he did not fire the ball across the diamond.
“I’ve been swinging, hitting and throwing in the cage, but this is the first time taking it to a longer depth than the 60 feet of what the (indoor batting) cage offers,” said Rendon, who joked about getting back in the daylight. “We have been doing plyometric stuff in the weight room trying to get it prepared for the stuff out here.”
Rendon said he does not have an official timetable for a return, nor does he have a personal target date for when he would like to be back. But he still said he feels ahead of schedule with his rehab program.
“I’m trying to push it each and every day and that’s what I keep telling Marc (Oceguera) in (physical therapy): ‘Hey, just keep pushing me, pushing me. Let my body tell me that it’s painful, it hurts or it’s not ready,’” Rendon said. “So we’ll get back as soon as possible.”
Without a serious power threat in the lineup, while three-time American League MVP Mike Trout also is on the injured list, Manager Ron Washington is watching Rendon’s rehab with anticipation.
“I see him right now moving pretty good,” Washington said pregame, with an eye toward Rendon’s workout from the dugout bench. “But that doesn’t mean that tomorrow he’s gonna be playing.”
While Wednesday was the first on-field work, a big test is set for Saturday when Rendon runs on the field.
“I’m supposed to come out here Saturday and jog, I believe,” he said. “Hopefully I wasn’t supposed to say that. So I think that will be a good indicator of where we are at moving forward. Because if that’s not a good day then that puts a hindrance on some things.”
GLOVE MAN
Without a hint of stress in the sixth inning Tuesday, Angels shortstop Zach Neto made a play on his backhand side to scoop up a ground ball from Jake Cronenworth. The ensuing out snuffed out a rally after the Padres put two runners aboard in a tie game.
An inning later, Neto let his bat do the talking with a go-ahead two run double.
As Neto’s offense improves, he arrived as a fully formed defender with Gold Glove abilities. But Washington isn’t ready to anoint his young shortstop a Gold Glover just yet.
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“Not right now,” Washington said. “Right now I just want him to play and continue to be productive. His time will come when it will happen that he will be in the Gold Glove conversation.
“Right now, just play and if he continues to play the way he’s playing, that will be answered by him. But do I think he has the potential? Yes.”
ALSO
In addition to Rendon taking close-range ground balls from his knees, infielder Brandon Drury also performed the drill Wednesday as he did more on-field work. Drury, who hasn’t played since May 8 because of his own hamstring injury, has no official timetable for a return but is aiming to be back by the middle of the month.
UP NEXT
The Angels are off Thursday.
Astros (TBD) at Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 2-5, 4.69 ERA), Friday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
