Rendon to have season-ending hip surgery

ARLINGTON -- Anthony Rendon’s injury-plagued 2021 campaign is officially over. The Angels announced Wednesday that the third baseman will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a right hip impingement.

Rendon was initially sent to the 10-day injured list on July 6 with a left hamstring strain and he was expected to be back relatively quickly, but the hip problem apparently developed as he worked to recover from the hamstring injury.

“I guess because he wasn’t feeling relief, they went a little bit more deeply into it and the conclusion was something with his hip,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s something I don’t understand, how it goes from a hammy to a hip, but it did and now we have to treat it.”

Rendon was moved to the 60-day IL on Wednesday for his third stint this season, following a left groin strain in April and a left knee contusion in May. In 58 games this year, Rendon hit .240/.329/.382 with six homers and 34 RBIs.

“This year he was never able to get on track and for whatever reason, I don’t know how much that hamstring-slash-hip had to do with it, but he never seemed to be able to get any traction,” Maddon said. “Because he gets -- ‘torrid’ is the right word -- he gets so hot, and he just was not able to do that this year.”

A top-10 AL MVP candidate for the Halos last year, Rendon signed a seven-year, $245 million contract before the season. He was the best hitter on the Nationals’ World Series championship team in 2019, with a 1.010 OPS in the regular season and a memorable Game 7 homer that sparked Washington’s improbable comeback against the Astros.

Rendon’s long absences this season have coincided with other significant injuries to the Angels’ marquee talent -- chiefly outfielder Mike Trout, out since May 17 with a right calf strain. Maddon said the club is still operating under the expectation that Trout will be back this season, but the long-term loss of Rendon is just another setback.

“It’s unfortunate. We’ve been missing some very major pieces all year, [Rendon] as much as anybody, obviously,” Maddon said. “I just want him to be well, I want him to get over it and I want him to feel better about himself. I want him to be ready for next season full-fledged.”

Rendon’s move to the 60-day IL opened a 40-man roster spot for lefty Packy Naughton, who was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to provide bullpen depth. It’s Naughton’s first time on an MLB roster.