Did a 2023 Home Run Robbery Cost Angels Outfielder Two Months On the Injured List?

In his brief major league career, Jo Adell's fielding highlights have been outnumbered by lowlights.

Turns out, even one of his better plays in center field last year came with a price.

In an interview with Trent Rush on the Angels Recap podcast, Adell revealed the origin of an oblique injury that cost him more than two months last season: not a swing in his first plate appearance of the Angels' July 8 game in Los Angeles, as was reported at the time, but a home run robbery the day before.

Watch Adell snag this Max Muncy fly ball above the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium and judge for yourself:

The injury wasn't serious enough to keep Adell out of the next day's lineup. He started in left field, played one inning, and struck out in his only at-bat.

As he told Rush, however, playing the next day was only "part" of the oblique injury that ultimately kept him out until Sept. 19.

The injury was a blow. I think part of that injury happened the day before, when I robbed Max Muncy, when I made that play after I had a little bit of stretch going there. Then obviously I came in and hit the next day and hit a little bit more, which caused the injury. It was a tough situation that I had to deal with: I had a line of 30, 40 games in front of me. I missed the opportunity. I know that once I got back healthy I was going to be ready to roll. I was going to make an effort to finish the year out. I didn’t care if it was a week, two weeks, five days: if I can come back and play and finish and know that I’m leaving healthy I know I’m going do that.

- Jo Adell, via the Angels Recap podcast

Adell's injury was ill-timed. Only three days prior, on July 5, Angels center fielder Mike Trout underwent surgery to repair an injured hamate bone in his left wrist. That left a massive vacancy in the Angels' outfield and lineup. 

Trout wound up playing only one game over the remainder of the season, in August. Had he stayed healthy, Adell would have had the elusive "long runway" that could allow him to establish himself as an everyday major league outfielder.

The 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Adell quickly rose the minor league ranks and has demolished Triple-A pitching (60 home runs, 167 RBIs, .272 average in 214 games). He's struggled to translate those numbers to the majors, however, hitting .214 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs in 178 career games.

Whether inconsistent playing time is a cause or an effect of Adell's struggles is fodder for debate. Either way, losing one-third of a season to an injury is a hindrance, not a help. Now we know that one swing in one game was not the only culprit.