Anderson eyeing comeback with Angels, says he 'lost the feel' at plate
Former All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, says his downturn over the last few seasons can be traced to his losing "the feel" for hitting following injuries.
"I think the last injury I went (through) was when I (tore my) MCL. It was like, I came back (and) the feel was just different," Anderson told Foul Territory. "I lost the feel. I had a hand injury. And not to really, you know, give you examples about the injury, but I just lost the feel. And then we could speak on the mental side as well. ... So it's kinda hard to play when you in those situations, and I had other personal things going on as well."
Anderson was once one of baseball's rising stars and a building block at shortstop for the Chicago White Sox. The 2019 AL batting champion won a Silver Slugger in 2020 and led Chicago to consecutive playoff berths at the start of the decade with his electric style of play.
However, the 31-year-old's fallen off dramatically over the last few seasons. In 2023, his final year with the White Sox, Anderson posted the lowest slugging percentage (.296), OPS (.582), and wRC+ (60) among qualified hitters. He inked a one-year deal with the Miami Marlins last February but was released in July after hitting .214/.237/.226 with nine RBIs and 68 strikeouts over 241 plate appearances.
Getting cut by the Marlins prompted Anderson to step away from baseball for several months. He's now back, as the Angels apparently invited him to camp this month, though they have yet to officially announce Anderson's minor-league deal.
In Anaheim, Anderson - long regarded as a bat-first shortstop - will get to work with manager Ron Washington, who's well respected for his work with infielders. But where he'd fit on the Angels' Opening Day roster as a natural shortstop with very limited experience elsewhere (he played second at the World Baseball Classic, and for 18 big-league innings, in 2023) is a bit of a question mark. Zach Neto is the Halos' long-term shortstop, while Luis Rengifo is slated to start at second. He'll also be competing with Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery for a potential utility role.
Anderson said he's happy to be versatile going forward, and will play "wherever (there's an) opening" if it means he'll be on the team and wreaking havoc offensively.
"If I definitely get the bat back, I'm pretty sure that we can find a position (for me)," he said.