TEMPE, Ariz. -- After baseball consumed the first 28 years of his life, Angels reliever Ty Buttrey decided to walk away from the game shortly before the start of last season and spent the entire year on the restricted list.

But after his time away from the game, Buttrey decided in early December that he wanted to return to the Angels. The Angels welcomed him back and he received an invitation to Major League camp, although his roster status remains in flux. Nevertheless, he’s been throwing bullpens without any issues and is excited to face hitters again.

“I have a new perspective and a fresh start,” Buttrey said. “The time away I was able to get things right and really figure out what I want to do in life. Obviously playing baseball was a big aspect of that. It’s something I really enjoy. I just had a lot going on, man, and needed to get away and experience new things. I did that and I missed the game a lot.”

One of the major things Buttrey did during his time away from baseball was starting a nonprofit in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands with the goal of creating a baseball camp with his wife, Samantha. But after he returned from the camp in early December, he felt the itch to return to the game he'd loved for so long.

“Seeing those kids down there in St. Croix and seeing them light up at having the opportunity to play baseball sparked something in me that wasn’t really there,” Buttrey said. “I enjoyed coaching, I enjoyed talking about the game. I enjoyed being there helping these kids. I just knew if I waited until January, it would be too late.”

Buttrey, who turns 29 on March 31, has a career 4.30 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 115 innings in three years with the Angels. He was expected to be a major contributor to the bullpen last year before he walked away from the game right before Opening Day. Buttrey said he feels fresh after taking the year off, and is open to whatever the Angels have for him this year.

“I’ll go to [Triple-A], Double-A, Low-A, I’ll stay here,” Buttrey said. “That’s the cool thing. There was always a fear of failure in the past and having to impress people. Now my job is to work out, eat healthy, train and throw baseballs. I get paid to do it and interact with awesome fans. That’s a freaking awesome job, and I didn’t have that perspective [before]. I don't care where I play. I just love throwing hard, I love striking guys out, I love throwing nasty pitches and I'll do that whenever I can."

Iglesias, Rendon not in camp
Closer Raisel Iglesias and third baseman Anthony Rendon have yet to report to Angels camp, as both are dealing with undisclosed personal family matters. Manager Joe Maddon said he expects Iglesias and Rendon in camp soon, adding that they’ll both have plenty of time to get ready for the start of the season.

Rodriguez rehabbing after shoulder surgery
Right-hander Chris Rodriguez had a solid rookie year that saw him post a a 3.64 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings before undergoing right shoulder surgery in October. Rodriguez, though, said the operation went well and he’s been playing catch for the last two weeks.

"Everything is good,” Rodriguez said. “I feel stronger than I've ever been. No mobility problems. That's the biggest thing after a shoulder surgery. Luckily everything went well."

Rodriguez, a former top prospect, has dealt with injuries before. He was limited to just 9 1/3 innings from 2018-20 because of back issues. He said his goal is return at some point this year, but there's no timetable yet.

"The biggest thing is being patient," Rodriguez said. "I've been through this rodeo before. Just paying patient, keeping your head down and staying humble and working hard to get back at it."