Anthony Rendon receives surprising endorsement from World Series champions amid scathing backlash

LA Angels star signing Anthony Rendon is once again in the news, as another injury is set to limit his plate time. On Thursday, ESPN reported that Rendon will miss significant time off the diamond, as he's set to undergo hip surgery. His return timeline is set as indefinite by the club.

Rendon, who signed a seven-year, $245 million, contract with the Angels after winning the World Series with the Washington Nationals, has barely stayed healthy during his contract.

With the Angels since 2020, Rendon is yet to play more than 58 games in a season. Moreover, his controversial remarks like baseball not being his first love, have put him on the wrong side of critics. However, he finds solace from two former World Series champions: Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer.

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Mike Moustakas defends Anthony Rendon against scathing criticism

Analysts have had a go at Anthony Rendon for being injury-prone, but Mike Moustakas has offered his support to Rendon, knowing what a ballplayer life is.

"Injuries are injuries, man. They suck—you can't control them," Moustakas said on the Diggin' Deep podcast (5:06 onwards). "You know, you just can't control them. Uh, you know, always wishing for the best for Anthony, but when he's on the field, man, he's a top-15 player in the show. And when he's able to go out there and perform, he's a hell of a ballplayer, man.

"And uh, I don't think it's the last we see of him. I think that he gets healthy, and he has a couple of good years left in him, and I'm excited to see that. Uh, it just sucks with the injuries. You know, I know he doesn’t want to be hurt—nobody wants to be hurt. But that’s what happens when you play professional sports for as long as we do. You play 162 games—you’re going to get hurt, and it’s unfortunate."

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Eric Hosmer also defends Anthony Rendon against unwarranted criticism

While acknowledging what Mike Moustakas said, Eric Hosmer shed light on Anthony Rendon getting the worst from fans and analysts for speaking his mind.

"Yes, he has said that he doesn’t like baseball," Hosmer said. "Other people probably feel the same way—they just don’t have the balls to say it publicly like he did. But at the end of the day, when this guy’s healthy, he rakes."

While it's not great to see what Rendon is going through amid understandable fan frustration, it's the nature of the game, and there's only so much a ballplayer can do to avoid injuries.