Angels’ Mike Trout Taken off Rehab Assignment After Setback to Knee Injury

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJuly 24, 2024

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who has been out since April 29 with a torn left meniscus, is leaving his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees after suffering a setback on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Trout started in center field and played two innings for the Bees on Tuesday before leaving the game with left knee soreness. Manager Ron Washington told reporters afterward that Trout was feeling better and expressed hope that the superstar could continue his rehab assignment as a designated hitter for Salt Lake on Wednesday.

However, Trout is now returning to Southern California for further evaluation.

Per MLB.com, the plan was for Trout to play five innings in center on Tuesday, serving as the DH Wednesday and potentially playing center again Thursday before getting activated.

Unfortunately, Trout’s timetable to return is unclear after an unfortunate setback for one of the game’s greats.

Trout, a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer someday, has won three American League MVP awards and made 11 All-Star teams.

Unfortunately, injuries have now taken a major toll on the 32-year-old’s career. A torn right calf muscle held him to 36 games in 2021. A rare back condition (a costovertebral dysfunction at T5) held him out for over a month in 2022.

A fractured left hamate bone in his wrist suffered in July 2023 following a foul ball during an at-bat ended up costing him the rest of last season.

Simply put, the injuries have robbed Trout of massive chunks of an incredible prime. When healthy, he’s arguably been the best player in baseball since his entrance to the bigs in 2011. But he’s suffered terrible luck forcing him to the bench.

Hopefully Trout will overcome this latest setback and at least get to play before the season ends in a few months. But the biggest wish is for the Angels legend to finally enjoy a well-deserved string of good health after dealing with setback after setback for years.