This season is yet another lost year for the Angels, something the franchise has long understood. Mike Trout didn't quite see it that way.
While postseason contention has been off the table since the spring, Trout spent nearly three months fighting to return from a torn meniscus just as he promised he would. The three-time MVP didn't believe the injury would end his season, and he appeared to be progressing well until a recent setback.
Trout exited his first rehab game after only two innings with what was described as soreness in his knee, which he had surgically repaired in May. The Angels initially downplayed concerns, but the latest update on Trout's health is much more grim.
Here's what you need to know about Trout's status and his updated timeline.
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Mike Trout injury update
Angels GM Perry Minasian announced Thursday that Trout will miss the remainder of the regular season after tearing the same meniscus he had repaired in May.
Trout initially planned to return to his rehab assignment shortly after the setback earlier in the week, but he was left out of the lineup the day after exiting and underwent testing to confirm the re-injury.
Trout released a statement confirming the news, explaining that he is "devastated" by the injury.
"This is equally as heartbreaking and frustrating for me as it is for you," Trout said, vowing to "come back stronger."
— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) August 1, 2024
The Angels are headed nowhere at 47-61, but Trout's return could have energized a fan base that saw Shohei Ohtani leave in free agency less than eight months ago. Trout, who turns 33 next week, got off to a red-hot start with 10 home runs over his first 25 games in April, but he struggled for two weeks before going on the IL with a meniscus tear in May.
Trout has maintained that he wants to stay in Anaheim despite the Angels' postseason drought, which is about to reach a decade. At this point, though, his injury history makes a trade difficult even if he wanted a fresh start. Trout is under contract through 2030 on a 12-year, $426.5 million contract, a hefty price for a player who has missed at least 80 games in three of the past four seasons.
Trout is an 11-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger, and three-time MVP. He still carries a stellar career OPS of .991 and only saw his career batting average dip below .300 earlier this year.
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Mike Trout injury history
Trout missed 80 games in 2023 after undergoing midseason wrist surgery, a year after a back injury forced him to miss more than 40 games. He missed a total of 249 games from 2021-23, with a significant calf injury resulting in the longest absence of his career in 2021.
While Trout was remarkably durable early in his career, injuries have now plagued him for the bulk of the last six seasons. Even his last MVP season in 2019 ended with September foot surgery.
The Angels didn't have many expectations in 2024 and haven't necessarily underperformed low preseason hopes, even at 47-61, but missing Trout for so much of the season was one more reason for fans to be deflated as the franchise's postseason drought hits 10 years.
