MLB 2025: Tim Anderson Ready to Conquer Injuries and Challenges Ahead

Remember All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson? Anderson has now signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels after suffering from injuries. The shortstop is now 31 years old and has spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago White Sox. Not once, but Anderson won All-Star twice with the club. During his time with the White Sox, Anderson batted.282 and had an OPS of .735.  

From 2019 to 2022, he hit over.300 for four consecutive seasons, including a season in 2019 with an average of.335 that led the AL. In 2023, Anderson batted.245 and had a.582 OPS. He was released in July after spending the previous season with the Miami Marlins, when he batted .214 in 65 games. Tim Anderson knows about his decline too and he has come out and talked about it. 

31-year-old shortstop is ready and hungry for more with new team 

In an interview with Foul Territory, Tim Anderson opened up about his injuries that were a major part of his downfall. “I went through a couple injuries. I think the last injury that I went was when I did the MCL. Once I came back, the feel was just different. I lost the feel. I had a hand injury… and then we could speak on the mental side as well. I had other personal things going on as well,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of hard to be able to see clear when you have so much going on.”  

Tim Anderson says that he lost the feel for hitting after a hand injury, but seems ready to rake again in 2025 pic.twitter.com/tw5RpX0N7H

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 29, 2025

Anderson also added that he is back to square one and is excited. In 2019, he made a major statement by leading the entire MLB with a scorching .335 batting average. If that wasn’t enough, in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Anderson topped the American League with 45 runs. But the story doesn’t stop there. He took his show to the All-Star stage in 2021 and 2022, making back-to-back appearances and solidifying himself as one of the premier shortstops in the game. However, even the toughest players face setbacks. 

What actually went wrong with Tim Anderson? 

In August 2022, Anderson hit a major roadblock when he suffered a season-ending injury. The culprit? A sagittal band tear in the middle finger of his left hand—a nasty injury that left him sidelined for the remainder of the season. After fighting through injury setbacks, including sprained left knee and right shoulder soreness, the White Sox shortstop couldn’t quite find his groove. Despite playing 123 games, he only hit one home run, drove in 25 RBIs, and posted a .245 batting average. His slugging percentage of .296 and an OPS of .582 were the lowest of any American League hitter, according to Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. 

It was a far cry from the electric player who dominated in 2019 and 2020. The injuries clearly took their toll on his performance, and the numbers showed it. His once-feared bat lost some of its bite, and it was hard to watch as Anderson, known for his energy and flair, struggled to get back to his old self. After the season, the White Sox made the tough decision to decline their $14 million team option on his contract, which made him a free agent. 

The Angels are now rolling the dice on Tim Anderson, hoping that a change of scenery can help him rediscover the magic that made him one of the game’s most exciting shortstops in the past. The Angels are reshaping their roster, and after finishing last in the division, there’s clearly a lot of work to do. The lineup features a promising blend of young talent like Logan O’Hoppe, along with veterans like Mike Trout, who is recovering from injuries of his own. Anderson will have to prove himself in spring training, where he’ll compete for a spot. 

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