CINCINNATI – The Angels placed third baseman Anthony Rendon on the injured list Sunday morning after he pulled his hamstring legging out an infield single minutes into Saturday night’s 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Angels promoted infielder Ehire Adrianza to take Rendon’s spot on the roster.
The third-base dugout wasn’t the only section of Great American Ball Park disappointed to see the Rendon injury, which pitcher Patrick Sandoval called “gut-wrenching.”
In a suite above the visitors dugout down the third-base line, Rendon’s good friend James Casey, who is the tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, had come to the game with his wife, two sons and some other members of the coaching staff.
Casey, who went into the Rice University Hall of Fame along with Rendon last October, took his sons onto the field before the game to catch up with Rendon.
“We met at Rice, but obviously he was a little bit older, and I was just a freshman,” Rendon said. “You hear what he was doing on the football field, and then we ended up doing some promotional stuff together with baseball and football and we started talking and texting after that.”
The Chicago White Sox drafted Casey, who is six years older than Rendon, in the seventh round out of high school, but he retired from the sport after three seasons and enrolled at Rice to play tight end.
The Houston Texans drafted Casey in the fifth round in 2009, while the Washinton Nationals picked Rendon sixth overall in 2011, and the two have remained close since.
Casey played seven seasons in the NFL for the Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos and has been the tight ends coach in Cincinnati since 2019.
“Seventh grade was the highlight of my football career,” Rendon joked Sunday morning before the series finale against the Reds. “After that I was too small. I was facing guys his size. I wasn’t gonna hang around too much longer.
“We had more conversations this offseason than ever, and just getting to know him he’s such an impressive guy,” Rendon added. “It was great to see him and his boys again.”
Angels manager Ron Washinton said the team will have a better idea of the timeline for Rendon’s injury when the team returns to Los Angeles.
“The next day it always seems worse because stiffness sets in,” Washington said. “You have to get the blood flowing again, and each day that comes and goes, it will get better.”
EJECTION TO PROMOTION
Before Adrianza was called up for Rendon, his Saturday was cut short when he was ejected in the second inning of Triple-A Salt Lake City’s game for questioning a call by the Automated Ball Strike (ABS) system.
“By the way, it was a strike,” he admitted with a laugh shortly after getting to GABP following a long night and morning of travel.
Adrianza left Salt Lake City late Saturday night and arrived in Atlanta at 5 a.m. ET for a three-hour layover before flying to Cincinnati.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “I’m on the big-league club, so I have no complaints. I’m great to go.”
If Adrianza gets into Sunday’s game, it will be his first MLB appearance since May 1 with Atlanta. He spent spring training with the Angels but was beaten out by Miguel Sano.
In 14 games at Salt Lake this season, Adrianza hit .349 with two doubles, three triples, one run, four RBIs and two steals.
“It’s awesome to have him back,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He’s a very professional-type guy, and he’s already ready to play. I think he’s got a lot that he can bring to our team.”
COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
Sunday marked the 9,999th regular-season game in Angels history, with No. 10,000 scheduled for Monday against Baltimore at Angel Stadium.
The Angels will be the first expansion team to reach 10,000 games, and fans in attendance will receive a commemorative pin.
UP NEXT
Orioles (RHP Albert Suarez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) at Angels (LHP Reid Detmers 3-0, 1.19), 6:38 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM
