Los Angeles Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Angels player benched for lack of hustle

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 7/15/23

The Los Angeles Angels had to deal with a pretty bad look in their first game out of the All-Star break.

Third baseman Luis Rengifo was benched after he appeared to show a blatant lack of hustle following a fifth-inning error against the Houston Astros. Rengifo accidentally booted a ground ball into left-center field and jogged after it despite there being a runner at second. Rengifo was pulled by manager Phil Nevin following the inning and replaced by Eduardo Escobar.

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— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 15, 2023

It’s easy to see why Rengifo got benched for this. Had he chased after the ball more aggressively, it’s possible that he could have at least forced the Astros to hold the runners at first and third, possibly setting up a double play.

Considering the sense of urgency the Angels should be playing with, this is not a great look. Considering Rengifo is only hitting .217 on the season, there is no way he is getting away with a play like that.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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