ANAHEIM, CA – The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim shortstop Andrelton Simmons probably won’t be mad when the 2019 season ends at the end of next month. It has been a forgettable season for “Simba” for a variety of reasons, but most importantly it’s been his lack of health.
Simmons was just activated from the injured list a week ago after battling a left ankle injury, the same one that forced him to miss almost the entire month of June. He’s played in fewer than 80 games so far this season and when you miss that much time, it’s obviously going to affect your game.
Simmons is 2 for 12 with a home run and two walks since his return on August 23 in Houston with zero strikeouts, not bad for a guy who missed the past three weeks.
His presence is definitely welcomed back by the Angels as Simmons is still one of the best defensive shortstops in the game and always takes solid, professional at-bats. Still it will likely take the rest of the season for Simmons to feel comfortable at the plate and become more productive.
The Halos don’t have much to play for at this point. They are 64-71 and 13.5 games back in the AL Wild Card standings. Even with another disappointing year littered with injuries, they would love to play the spoiler role for other contenders. Simmons could definitely assist with that in the final weeks of the season assuming his ankle holds up.
You got to imagine that manager Brad Ausmus could shut Simba down if those ankle issues continue to linger. It’s a tough call as Simmons would love to finish the season on his terms but Ausmus and the Angels have to think about next year as well.
