Anthony Rendon Grabbed a Fan Who Heckled Him

The Los Angeles Angels suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to the Oakland Athletics on Opening Day and the mood around the team wasn’t great. As the squad headed for the locker room, third baseman Anthony Rendon got into it with an A’s fan who had heckled him. The former All-Star grabbed the fan’s shirt, then took a swing at him. MLB fans won’t be surprised to learn, Rendon failed to make solid contact.

Apparently the fan called Rendon a “bitch” and the 32-year-old did not take kindly to it. Throw in the fact that the Angels lost the game, blew an incredible performance by Shohei Ohtani and Rendon went 0-for-3 and the mood was tense.

Here’s the entire confrontation:

That’s absolutely not cool from Rendon. I don’t care what someone says, you cannot put your hands on them. He paid his money and has every right to sit in the stands and say what he wants. If you have a serious problem with the guy, have security deal with it. Unless someone runs onto the field, players have zero right to touch them.

I’d be shocked if Rendon wasn’t suspended for this.

It’s been a rough ride for Rendon in LA. He signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels in December of 2019 and has been an all-time bust. In his first three seasons with the Angels, Rendon has missed 229 games and only played 155. In 47 games last season, he slashed .228/.324/.383 and had an fWAR of 0.9 while making $36 million. He’s due $38 million this season and the same salary in 2024 and 2025 before he’s a free agent again.

Unless he somehow turns his career completely around, don’t expect the tension to wane.