Connect with us

Published

on

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anthony Rendon, speaking publicly for the first time in two months, revealed Friday that he has been diagnosed with a fractured tibia by doctors outside the purview of the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have consistently described Rendon’s injury as a deep bone bruise.

Asked why the Angels didn’t initially announce his injury as a fractured tibia, Rendon said, “You got to ask them.”

Angels general manager Perry Minasian didn’t respond to a request for comment. A source close to the team told ESPN that Rendon initially saw four doctors — two chosen by the Angels, two chosen by Rendon’s side — that diagnosed him with a deep bone bruise. A fifth doctor diagnosed him with the fractured tibia. Rendon, who didn’t provide details on the process, said the fracture diagnosis occurred while the team visited his hometown to play the Houston Astros during the second week of August.

Rendon’s agent, Scott Boras, said Rendon’s doctors and the Angels’ medical staff have nonetheless been “in line” with his treatment plan, denying that there is a disconnect between the two sides.

“We talked about when he did it, how bad the bone bruise was, that it’s similar to even what a fracture is,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “Bone bruise, fracture, either way, he’s unable to play right now, and we’re trying to get him back to where he is.”

Rendon, 33, initially suffered the injury while fouling a ball off his lower left leg in San Diego on July 4 and has only started to take part in light baseball activities in recent weeks, hitting off a tee and doing some light running exercises. If Rendon doesn’t return before the end of the regular season — a long shot, given that the Angels’ final game is two and a half weeks away — he will have played in 148 of a possible 486 games from 2021 to 2023, previously going on the injured list with issues in his hip, groin, hamstring, knee and both wrists.

Rendon is still owed another $114 million over the next three years. Asked if he plans on playing next season, Rendon was non-committal, merely saying that he is taking it day by day. Asked why he didn’t speak out sooner in order to combat public perception from fans who question his desire to play, Rendon said: “I don’t care. They don’t know the facts.”

A source within the medical field told ESPN that the treatment plan and the return to play is similar for a deep bone bruise and a fractured tibia, though the timelines within Major League Baseball have varied. Andre Ethier suffered a fractured tibia while with the Los Angeles Dodgers in March 2016 and missed nearly six months; Tommy La Stella had a fractured tibia with the Angels in July 2019 and missed nearly two months.

Nevin said he isn’t concerned about how the diagnosis might impact Rendon’s offseason or his availability for next year.

“I don’t look at it that way,” Nevin said. “He’s ramped up everything he’s done in there. The treatment for the bone bruise, under my understanding — bone bruise, fracture, to the degree that it is, all treated the same and the rehab is all the same. It’s not a bone that’s coming out of the skin. It’s something that is manageable under his pain tolerance. Obviously it’s a painful thing; I’ve said that all along. This is an extremely painful deal for him. But he’s gotten past, at least, that point, and he’s able to do some things on the treadmill and on the bike, he’s doing some baseball activities. The encouraging part is he’s feeling a lot better. Either one, whatever it is, it was going to be treated the same either way.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Journalism opens as 8-5 favorite for Preakness

Published

on

By

Journalism opens as 8-5 favorite for Preakness

HALETHORPE, Md. — Journalism is the morning line favorite for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes.

The Kentucky Derby runner-up to Sovereignty opened at odds of 8-5 on Monday night when post positions were drawn for the middle leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Journalism is again set to be ridden by jockey Umberto Rispoli and leave the starting gate from the No. 2 post.

Post time is set for 7:01 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

No. 7 Sandman is the 4-1 second choice in the field of nine, which does not include Sovereignty after his owners and trainer decided not to run the Derby winner two weeks after his triumph at Churchill Downs. The Preakness goes on without a true shot at a Triple Crown winner for a fifth time in seven years since Justify swept all three races in 2018.

Bob Baffert, who trained Justify and 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, is entering Goal Oriented looking for a record-extending ninth victory in the race. Fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas can tie Baffert if he wins the Preakness back-to-back, this time with American Promise a year after Seize the Grey ended Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid.

There are three Derby horses running in the $2 million Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore: Journalism, American Promise and Sandman, the latter of whom will be ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Mark Casse. American Promise drew the No. 3 post and opened at odds of 15-1.

New to the Triple Crown trail, along with No. 1 Goal Oriented (6-1), are No. 4 Heart of Honor (12-1), No. 5 Pay Billy (20-1), No. 6 River Thames (9-2), No. 8 Clever Again (5-1) and No. 9 Gosger (20-1).

Continue Reading

Sports

U.S. shut out by Switzerland at hockey worlds

Published

on

By

U.S. shut out by Switzerland at hockey worlds

HERNING, Denmark — Switzerland, last year’s runner-up, shut out the United States 3-0 and handed the Americans their first loss at the ice hockey world championship Monday.

Damien Riat, Jonas Siegenthaler and Dean Kukan scored in the Group B game in Herning. Netminder Leonardo Genoni stopped 23 shots for the shutout.

“Give credit to Switzerland,” U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “But I know our group has a lot more in them. We’ll regroup and get ready to play Norway.”

Riat put Switzerland ahead with 7:14 remaining in the first period, redirecting the puck into the goal from the air. It was the first goal the U.S. conceded at the tournament.

The second followed 3:13 later by Siegenthaler from the blue line. Kukan’s came halfway through the final period from the top of the left circle.

“After the first goal we did a better job,” Swiss forward Kevin Fiala said. “We got into it more and more, and shut them out.”

Fiala recorded an assist in his first game at the worlds. He joined the Swiss late after his Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from the NHL playoffs in the first round.

U.S. goalie Joey Daccord made 24 saves.

The U.S., which beat Denmark 5-0 and Hungary 6-0 in its first two games, will next face Norway on Wednesday.

In other games, Martin Necas had two goals and David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists as the defending champion Czech Republic used a four-goal middle period to ease past Denmark 7-2.

Nick Olesen also had a goal and an assist for Denmark.

In Stockholm, Sweden topped archrival Finland 2-1 on goals from Leo Carlsson and Jonas Brodin for a third victory in regulation from three games.

Austria defeated Slovakia 3-2 in a penalty shootout.

Continue Reading

Sports

Leafs’ Domi fined $5K for hit to Panthers’ Barkov

Published

on

By

Leafs' Domi fined K for hit to Panthers' Barkov

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was fined $5,000 — the maximum amount allowed by the league’s collective bargaining agreement — for boarding Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov as time expired in Game 4 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series Sunday.

Toronto was trailing 2-0 when the final buzzer sounded, and Domi hit Barkov from behind, sending him headfirst into the boards. Domi was given a minor penalty for boarding at the time while several other scrums broke out before officials moved players off the ice.

Florida’s victory evened the best-of-seven series at 2-all. Game 5 is set for Wednesday in Toronto.

Toronto coach Craig Berube didn’t comment on the Domi hit directly Monday, but he did say he thought Dmitry Kulikov‘s hit on Mitch Marner “was way worse”

On that play, the Panthers defenseman caught Marner up high with an elbow, leaving the Leafs forward momentarily dazed. No penalty was called on Kulikov.

It wasn’t the first elbowing incident to draw attention in the series.

In Game 1, Panthers forward Sam Bennett sent an elbow to the head of Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz shortly before Stolarz left the game. He was later hospitalized for further evaluation and hasn’t been able to resume skating since. There is currently no timeline for his return.

The physical intensity of the series might continue to rise now that it’s down to being a best-of-three. Based on how Game 4 played out, the Leafs are prepared to push back when they host Florida on Wednesday.

“We expected [the physicality], and I think we’re fine with it,” Berube said. “We’re handling it. We’re physical. I thought we were the more physical team [in Game 4].”

Continue Reading

Trending