Angels Lose Another Player to Season-Ending Injury

The Los Angeles Angels gave fans little to look forward to after a trade deadline in which they dealt two of their best relief pitchers, and coincidentally learned star center fielder Mike Trout had suffered a season-ending injury.

More news: Angels’ Mike Trout Suffers New Injury, is Out For The Season

Luis Rengifo was arguably the Angels’ best hitter when healthy. In 78 games, he was hitting .300 with a .347 on-base percentage and .417 slugging percentage. An electric baserunner, he was successful on 24-of-31 stolen-base attempts this season.

Rengifo had been trending up prior to July, when a right wrist injury slowed his progress. Rengifo missed 15 games with the injury, returned from the injured list to play nine games, and went 6-for-32 (.188) with only one extra-base hit upon his return.

Still, there was enough buzz around Rengifo to suggest he might have been on a short list of Angels players traded in advance of the July 30 deadline. At 49-63 through Tuesday, the Angels’ youth movement has been a series of fits and starts that won’t end in a playoff berth this year.

Saturday, Rengifo returned to the 10-day injured list and planned to get his wrist re-examined. He apparently did more than that, however. According to multiple reports Tuesday in New York, where the Angels’ game against the Yankees was rained out, Rengifo underwent surgery that will end his 2024 season.

In hindsight, perhaps the injury was severe enough on its own to dissuade teams from trading for the 27-year-old infielder.

According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Rengifo is expected to return in time for spring training of 2025. The Angels have Rengifo under team control for one more season before he’s eligible for free agency.

Call it another stroke of bad luck in a season full of them. Had Rengifo’s injury occurred after the trade deadline, perhaps the Angels could have recouped some value for him. As Fletcher notes:

General Manager Perry Minasian, without speaking specifically about Rengifo, said last week the Angels were open to trading more players on the roster than the two relievers they ultimately moved, but the offers weren’t sufficient.

It is likely that the teams that would have had interest in Rengifo cooled on him because of questions about his wrist. Even after he was activated, he didn’t hit well, which raised the question of whether he was fully recovered.

Rengifo has played 526 major league games, all with the Angels. He’s hit .253/.312/.395 with 53 home runs and 42 stolen bases. Because of injuries, however, he hasn’t played more than 130 games in a full season.