Taylor Ward injured, Kevin Pillar considers retirement, Tyler Anderson

July 8, 2024

The Los Angeles Angels suffered a shutout on Sunday after the Chicago Cubs won the weekend series with a 5-0 victory at Wrigley Field. After the Cubbies were held to a scoreless record the night before after another great start thanks to Tyler Anderson, Chicago fought back on Sunday to hold the Halos’ bats at bay.

The Angels return home on Monday to face their AL West rival, the Texas Rangers, and Anthony Rendon could be back in the lineup. But while Rendon could be activated from the injured list, the Angels could lose another player to the injured list after one of their top outfielders had to leave Sunday’s game early.

It seemed more like a precautionary measure, but when a player leaves a game before reaching the last out, there is always cause for concern. During the seventh inning of Sunday’s final play against the Cubs, Angels’ outfielder Taylor Ward made a pike catch but apparently injured his left knee in the process.

Ward stayed in the game but was taken out in favor of a pinch-runner after reaching base in the ninth inning. Ward said after the game, “I definitely feel sore. But I’m not too worried. I’m going to take it day by day.”

Kevin Pillar reached a milestone last week after playing 10 years in the major leagues. That’s a goal very few baseball players ever reach, and Pillar could end his career after the conclusion of the 2024 season. Pillar said he’s 98% sure he’ll retire after this season.

In an interview last week, Pillar mentioned that he saw former teammates play a year or two longer than they should have and expressed his desire to retire while he is still playing well. Pillar was signed by the Angels midseason and has hit .305/.360/.516 since arriving in Anaheim.

It’s been a great season for Angels starter Tyler Anderson, and it got even better with the announcement Sunday that he will return to the All-Star Game for the second time in his career. Anderson first participated in the Midsummer Classic in 2022 when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While Major League Baseball requires each team to have at least one representative for the All-Star Game, Anderson’s numbers are good enough even without that requirement. The left-hander has gone 8-8 in 18 starts this season, and after his shutout performance against the Cubs on Saturday, Anderson has lowered his ERA to 2.81. The left-hander is more than deserving of being on this year’s AL roster, and his selection will only increase his value ahead of the trade deadline.