For some baseball players, playing and competing is the most important thing in their lives. For Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, it’s just a job.
Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Rendon said that while he likes the game of baseball, it has never been a priority to him.
“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said via ESPN. “This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving.”
He later clarified that baseball is still one of his priorities, but just further down the list than some would expect.
“Oh, it’s a priority for sure because it’s my job,” Rendon added. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Rendon has been going through a rough stretch in recent years, failing to stay healthy and struggling to perform when he was on the field. Since signing a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels ahead of the 2020 campaign, he has only managed to play a total of 200 games and has never played more than 58 games in a single season in the past four years.
Rendon dealt with various injuries in 2023, including a fractured shin, being limited to 43 games, his lowest since making his debut in the majors in 2013. He batted .236 in 183 plate appearances, hitting two homers and having 22 RBIs.
