Tim

Anderson

The 31-year-old infielder was designated for assignment on Wednesday and the Angels granted his release after he passed through waivers unclaimed. Anderson slashed a disappointing .205/.258/.241 with zero homers, three RBI and a 29/3 K/BB ratio over 90 plate appearances with the Halos. It’s possible this could be the end of the line for the two-time All-Star.

No real surprise here since Anderson has hit .205/.258/.241 with zero homers and one steal in 90 plate appearances over 31 games this season for the Angels. His days in Los Angeles were always going to be numbered after the club signed versatile veteran Chris Taylor earlier this week. He’ll most likely pass through waivers and end up on the free agent wire.

There wasn’t much reason for the Angels to give Anderson a shot in the first place, and there’s no point in keeping him on the roster now. He’s batting .200/.256/.238 with no homers and a 28/3 K/BB in 87 plate appearances. He has twice as many plate appearances as Kevin Newman, who has also been very bad this season but at least was decent recently. Anderson is nearing three years of being a major liability.

It appears to just be a day of rest for Rengifo. The 28-year-old will sit with Tim Anderson handling second base and hitting seventh.

Rengifo is out of the lineup for the third time in the last five games with Tim Anderson at second base. He’s in the midst of an extended tailspin at the plate, batting .191 (9-for-47) with zero homers and one steal over his last 15 games. He’s hitting .091 (2-for-22) over his past seven contests.

Yes, that Carter Kieboom. Still just 27 years old, the former Nationals prospect has been scalding hot for the Angels at Triple-A this season, slashing .373/.417/.642 with five home runs, 12 RBI, and three steals in 17 games. He has played 1B, 2B, and 3B for Salt Lake and could be in line for a call-up if the Angels decide to let slumping Kyren Paris figure things out at Triple-A. If Kieboom does get called up, only Kevin Newman and Tim Anderson would stand in the way of him and playing time for the Angels.

Coming off a year and a half run as one of the game’s very worst players, Anderson didn’t really do much of anything to earn a spot on the Angels this spring, and it’s hard to understand why he’s playing now. If the Angels don’t believe in Paris — which is justifiable, even if his batted ball numbers this year are still pretty good overall — Kevin Newman sure figures to be the better alternative going forward. Anderson is batting .176/.222/.196 through 54 plate appearances. He has a 27 OPS+ since the beginning of last year and a 49 OPS+ since the beginning of 2023.

The 23-year-old blasted five homers and swiped four bases within his first 30 plate appearances on the season, but since then he’s slashing a pitiful .111/.179/.139 with an 18/1 K/BB ratio over 40 plate appearances. A day off to clear his head will hopefully do him some good. Tim Anderson will start in his place at second base and bat ninth for the Halos against Twins’ right-hander Pablo Lopez.

Anderson has been better than expected defensively, but there’s been little sign of an offensive renaissance here. The good news is that the Angels should have Zach Neto back in 7-10 days, and with Kyren Paris establishing himself at second, Anderson figures to become a true bench guy later this month. Nicky Lopez is probably going to find himself out of work at that time.

Anderson won a spot on the Opening Day roster after hitting .250/.297/.317 with one home run and three steals. With Zach Neto (shoulder) starting the year on the IL, Kevin Newman will be the starting shortstop with Anderson filling in at second base. The Angels’ full lineup is: Taylor Ward LF, Nolan Schanuel 1B, Mike Trout RF, Jorge Soler DH, Tim Anderson 2B, Luis Rengifo 3B, Logan O’Hoppe C, Jo Adell CF, Kevin Newman SS.