2020 Angels in review: Justin Anderson

Some season reviews are shorter than others. Such is the case with Justin Anderson, whose 2020 season was wiped out by Tommy John surgery in July.

The right-hander had a 4.75 ERA in 111 games in relief for the Angels in 2018-19, but his peripherals painted a better picture, with 127 strikeouts in 102⅓ innings and a 4.10 FIP. Anderson’s 27.7-percent strikeout rate was second-best among all Angels who threw more than one inning in 2018-19, trailing only Shohei Ohtani.

But just days before the season opener in 2020, Anderson had elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL in Texas.

“When I’m rehabbing, I will miss competing on that mound, the still & quiet energy I get when the gates open, the sound of my cleats against the warning track, my song blaring over the speakers, & more importantly I’ll miss my teammates,” Anderson tweeted on July 19. “But, I’ll be back.”

2020 particulars

Age: 27

Stats: DNP (Tommy John surgery)

Salary: $577,000

Game of the year

Sadly, Anderson was hurt before any games that counted, so our choices are limited. He made one appearance in a spring training game, entering in the fifth inning on March 1 against the Rockies, with the Angels trailing 3-2 with two outs and a runner on second base. Anderson walked Nolan Arenado, then got Daniel Murphy to fly out, ending the threat and keeping Anderson’s ERA on the season at 0.00.

Roster status

With two years, 161 days of major league service time, Anderson is eligible for salary arbitration this winter.