With Anthony Rendon ailing, Angels try to avoid being swept in Cincinnati

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon was booed during introductions before the club's home opener on April 5, in part because he has been a bust since signing a $245 million free-agent contract.

Over the last two weeks, however, he's heated up, collecting hits in 16 of his last 42 at-bats and looking like the player the Angels were hoping they got in December 2019.

But the Angels likely will be without Rendon on Sunday afternoon when they face the Reds, who will seek a sweep of the teams' three-game series in Cincinnati.

Rendon strained his left hamstring in the top of the first inning Saturday while beating out an infield single. The severity of the strain is not yet known.

Signed to a seven-year contract before the 2020 season, Rendon went into the 2024 season having played in a total of 200 games over four seasons with Los Angeles because of a variety of injuries, all while hitting just 22 home runs.

Rendon's offensive struggles and inability to stay healthy were not the only reason for the boos; he also irritated fans before the season when he said baseball is not a "top priority," citing family and faith as being more important.

"If they want to make me out to be a certain type of person because I want to see my family more, I mean, that's fine," Rendon said. "They don't know me. They just know the surface level. Everyone's gonna have their opinion. You can't make everybody happy."

Now, with Rendon's status uncertain, Luis Rengifo and Miguel Sano would get playing time at third base.

On the mound Sunday, the Angels will hand the ball to Jose Soriano (0-2, 4.80 ERA), who will be opposed by fellow right-hander Frankie Montas (2-2, 4.34).

Soriano will make his third start of the season (fifth appearance) on Sunday. Soriano, who replaced the injured Chase Silseth in the rotation April 10, received a no-decision in his most recent game despite a commendable performance -- he allowed one run and one hit in five innings against Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Soriano has faced the Reds twice in his career -- both last season and both in relief appearances. He has given up no runs and one hit in two innings without collecting a decision.

Montas will make his fifth start of the season for the Reds. He's coming off his worst start, in which he gave up five runs on three hits and five walks in two innings in Seattle on Monday.

Montas said the issue was that he was not able to get swings on his splitter, which is his most dominant pitch. He's coming off a season with the Yankees in which he had shoulder surgery and pitched in only one game.

The Reds took a chance on him and signed him to a one-year, $14 million deal and made him their Opening Day starter. He is 4-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 16 career games (13 starts) against the Angels, mostly while pitching for the Oakland A's.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz followed his home run and three stolen bases on Friday with four walks on Saturday. However, he was thrown out on his only stolen-base attempt.

"I always think about stealing the next base," said De La Cruz, who began the night with a major-league-leading 10 steals. "Always aggressive."

De La Cruz had 35 stolen bases in 98 games in his rookie season last year.