The two biggest issues with Anthony Rendon right now are the lack of power he has displayed early in the season, and the fact that he’s been kept off the field, serving as the designated hitter due to a sore shoulder. I asked the Houston media about both topics this weekend via Twitter:
On Rendon’s lack of power:
On when he might return to third base:
It’s still early in the season. I’m not concerned by his shoulder injury. Rice is 7-1 in their last eight games heading in to today’s game. There really hasn’t been an urgent need to put Rendon back on the field. As for his power, there’s some concern there. He is hitting for a .429 average, and has a .564 OBP. Most of that is due to the higher average, as his 20% walk rate this year is about 2% lower than his total last year. Meanwhile, his isolated power of .262 is the lowest of his three year career, down from his .407 line last year. All that said, it’s very early in the season. He has 42 at-bats heading in to today’s game. It’s something to watch going forward, but not something I’d be overly concerned with this early in the season.
