Pillar (thumb) said Monday in an interview on MLB Network that he wants to continue playing in 2025.
Pillar said back in July that he was "98 percent" sure he was going to retire following the 2024 season, but after taking "some time to reflect," he's now changing his tune and hopes to latch on with a club for 2025. The veteran outfielder also revealed that he underwent left thumb surgery at the beginning of the offseason. Pillar will turn 36 in January and should be healthy for the start of spring training. He slashed .310/.352/.500versus left-handed pitching in 2024 and should have a decent chance to land a job as a reserve or short-side platoon outfielder.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Productive in Friday's loss
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Pillar went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 9-7 loss to the Astros.
In his return from a thumb injury, the veteran outfielder took Hector Neris deep in the seventh inning as the Angels tried to mount a comeback from an early 6-1 deficit, but it was the last run Pillar's team would score on the night. Pillar's 11 steals on the season are his most since 2019, and the 35-year-old has managed a respectable .242/.300/.402 slash line over 291 plate appearances with eight homers, 36 runs and 45 RBI.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Activated from IL
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The Angels reinstated Pillar (thumb) from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Pillar has been held out of action since Sept. 7 due to a sprained left thumb, but he'll now return for what is expected to be the final nine games of his professional career. The 35-year-old outfielder has slashed just .147/.205/.200 with 12 RBI since Aug. 1, though he may earn a few starts during the final stretch due to the plethora of injuries in Los Angeles' outfield. Charles Leblanc was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Yet to resume activities
Rotowire
The Angels announced Monday that Pillar (thumb) has yet to resume baseball activities since being placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Pillar doesn't look like he'll be on track to return from the IL in the minimum 10 days while he contends with a sprained left thumb, but he should have a chance at playing again this season if he's able to increase his workouts in the coming days. The 35-year-old has already announced plans to retire after the season, so he may have some extra incentive to push for a return to the field later this month even while the Angels are on the precipice of being eliminated from playoff contention.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Placed on IL
Rotowire
The Angels placed Pillar on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a sprained left thumb.
Pillar likely picked up the injury during Friday's game against Texas after he replaced Jo Adell (oblique) in the second inning. With Adell joining Pillar on the injured list, Jordyn Adams and Bryce Teodosio were added to the 28-man active roster and should see plenty of work in the outfield.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Returning to bench role
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Pillar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Pillar will head back to the bench after he had started in each of the Angels' previous four contests. The Angels faced one left-handed starter (Brant Hurter) during that stretch, and Mickey Moniak also missed two games with an elbow injury, so despite what his recent usage might suggest, Pillar still looks to be stuck in a fourth-outfielder role.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Getting third straight start
Rotowire
Pillar will start in left field and bat third in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Though Pillar will be getting his third straight start Sunday, he's likely to move back into a fourth-outfielder role during the upcoming week. Mickey Moniak (elbow) will return to the lineup Sunday in center field following a two-game absence, but the Angels were able to keep a spot open in the outfield for Pillar since Taylor Ward is handling designated-hitter duties while Anthony Rendon receives a day off. Pillar is likely to be limited to the short side of a platoon with Moniak during the final month of the season.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Two hits, stolen base in loss
Rotowire
Pillar went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the A's.
The outfielder doubled with one out in the second inning before coming around to score the Angels' first run on a Logan O'Hoppe single. Pillar later added a single of his own, giving him just his second multi-hit performance this month. He has hit safely in two of his last three games, posting two RBI, two runs and two stolen bases over that brief stretch.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Plans to retire after season
Rotowire
Pillar said Saturday that he's "98 percent sure" he'll retire from professional baseball after this season, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Pillar made the revelation after reaching 10 years of service time, which means he will be eligible for a fully-vested pension. The 35-year-old struggled with the White Sox out of the gate this season but has slashed .305/.360/.516 in 42 games since joining the Angels in April.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Making seventh straight start
Rotowire
Pillar will start in center field and bat cleanup in Sunday's game against the Giants, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
Pillar will pick up his seventh straight start and may have pushed his way into a near-everyday role in the Angels outfield while he's been at a heater at the plate for more than a month now. Dating back to May 7, Pillar is slashing .351/.394/.629 with six home runs, four stolen bases, 24 RBI and 21 runs in 27 games. Pillar's much more modest offensive outputs over parts of the previous 11 seasons in the big leagues suggest he won't be able to maintain his current level of production for much longer, but fantasy managers should ride the wave while it lasts.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Clubs homer in loss
Rotowire
Pillar went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-1 loss to the Astros.
Pillar had gone 1-for-10 over his first four games in June before this multi-hit effort. His second-inning homer was all the Angels could put up against Framber Valdez, who pitched a complete game. Pillar is up to seven homers, 26 RBI, 17 runs scored and a .324/.379/.590 slash line over 117 plate appearances between the Angels and the White Sox this season. Despite his strong numbers recently, he's been on the bench for two of the last five games, which suggests Pillar doesn't have a full-time role against right-handed pitchers.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Homers in three-hit game
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Pillar went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Yankees.
Pillar has hit safely in his last 11 games, going 20-for-41 (.488) in that span. He's logged a trio of three-hit efforts during the streak. The outfielder is up to a .349/.402/.639 slash line with six homers, 24 RBI, 14 runs scored, six stolen bases, four doubles and a triple over 34 contests this season. He struggled initially with the White Sox, but he's been excellent since joining the Angels at the end of April.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Not in Wednesday's lineup
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Pillar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Houston, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Pillar hit a home run in Tuesday's loss to the Astros and has been scorching hot since joining the Angels, putting up a 1.226 OPS with four long balls and four stolen bases. He's still not quite being treated like an everyday player, however, as he's now been out of the lineup three of the last four times the Halos have faced a righty.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Swats homer in defeat
Rotowire
Pillar went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's loss to the Astros.
Pillar took Bryan Abreu deep in the seventh to put the Angels back up 5-4 and extend his hitting streak to eight games. He's been on an absolute tear since signing with the Angels on April 30. In the month of May, Pillar is slashing .426/.460/.766 with four homers, 17 RBI, 12 runs and a 2:9 BB:K through 14 games. Prior to his release from the White Sox on April 26, the 35-year-old was slashing just .160/.290/.360 with a homer, four RBI, a run scored and a 4:8 BB:K through 17 games.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Swipes two bags Friday
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Pillar went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and two stolen bases against Texas in Friday's 9-3 victory.
Pillar made the most of his two trips on base, notching a theft in the third and fifth frames. The veteran outfielder extended his hitting streak to five games, and he's been scorching hot during that stretch, going 11-for-20 with a homer, eight RBI, six runs and four stolen bases. Pillar has four career MLB campaigns with double-digit homers and steals, and he appears en route for a fifth with four long balls and six thefts in 28 contests this year.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Keeps hot bat going
Rotowire
Pillar went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Cardinals.
Pillar has a trio of three-hit efforts over his last six games, going 12-for-24 (.500) with 13 RBI and seven runs scored in that span. The outfielder's strong play has helped him seize a short-side platoon role in center field, though he was in the lineup over platoon partner Mickey Moniak against right-hander Sonny Gray in this contest. Through 26 contests between the Angels and the White Sox this year, Pillar owns a .309/.361/.618 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBI, eight runs scored and three stolen bases, with the majority of that production coming since he signed with the Angels at the end of April.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Continues to boost team's offense
Rotowire
Pillar went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Monday's loss to the Cardinals.
Pillar knocked in three of Los Angeles' five runs in the defeat, drilling a two-run homer in the third inning and adding an RBI single in the eighth. The veteran went just 1-for-6 through his first three games after joining the club April 30, but he's been on a heater of late, recording three multi-hit performances across his past five games. Over that span, he's batting ..474 (9-for-19) with three home runs, 12 RBI, six runs and a stolen base.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Another three-hit performance
Rotowire
Pillar went 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's win over Kansas City.
Pillar led off the bottom of the second with a triple before coming around to score on a three-run shot from Jo Adell as the Angels took a 3-1 lead. The recently acquired outfielder added two RBI singles on the night in addition to swiping his third bag of the season. Pillar has now tallied three hits in two of his last four contests, posting nine RBI and five runs scored over that stretch.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Homers twice
Rotowire
Pillar went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI during Tuesday's 9-0 win over the Pirates.
Pillar made it a 3-0 ballgame with his three-run home run in the fourth inning, and his solo shot in the seventh gave the Angels a convincing 7-0 lead. The 35-year-old now sports an inflated .866 OPS through 43 plate appearances this season, but he shouldn't be relied on as a consistent source of production in fantasy.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Signs with Halos
Rotowire
Pillar signed a one-year, $740,000 contract with the Angels on Tuesday.
Pillar elected to become a free agent Sunday after being DFA'd by the White Sox, and he'll now quickly find work with the Angels on a major-league deal. The 35-year-old slashed .160/.290/.360 across 32 plate appearances with the White Sox, and he'll give Los Angeles' outfield additional depth with Mike Trout (knee) in line for a long-term absence.
