The Angels announced that they have placed the shortstop. Andrelton Simmons On the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle. The club reinstated the infielder Luis Rengifo of IL in a corresponding movement.
Simmons, who suffered the injury against Athletics on Monday, also dealt with left ankle problems last year. Those problems helped limit Simmons to just 103 of the possible 162 games and a .264 / .309 / .364 batting line less than stellar in 424 plate appearances last season. While Simmons has never been close to an elite hitter, the 30-year-old has combined a slightly above-average offense with a spectacular defense when he is at his best. The Angels certainly expect him to return to that level this season, although this latest injury doesn’t help. It doesn’t do Simmons any favors either, as he could take an interesting trip to free agency during the upcoming offseason.
For the most part, angels turned to the utility player David Fletcher in short last year when Simmons was not available. They will do the same again Tuesday against the Mariners. Rengifo also saw some time in 2019, and returned in the Angels’ uniform after an offseason trade with the Dodgers that involved him. Hamstring pain delayed Rengifo’s debut this season.
