One of baseball’s biggest stars might be back soon. Mike Trout, who hurt his knee in late April and needed surgery, has been out since then but has been getting better lately. Now, he seems ready to return to the major leagues.
Starting Saturday, Trout will practice by facing live pitching at the Angels’ spring training complex in Arizona. He’ll do it again on Sunday and then start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Angels as early as Thursday.
Trout last played on April 29. This season, in 126 plate appearances, he’s hitting .225/.325/.541 with 10 home runs. Even though his batting average is low, he was leading the majors in home runs before his injury and had a solid 138 OPS+.
Impact of Trout’s Return:
The three-time MVP has been one of the best players when healthy but staying healthy has been tough for him. He only played 36 games in 2021, 119 in 2022, and just 82 last year. This year he’s only appeared in 29 games so far.
The Angels are currently struggling; they’re ten games behind in the AL West and even further from a Wild Card spot. Despite this, Trout’s return is still crucial for two reasons:
1. The Angels become much tougher opponents for any team.
2. Fans love watching him play because he’s one of baseball’s most exciting players.
Even though the team’s chances are slim this season, having Trout back is big news for fans who enjoy seeing top talent on the field.
What do you think about Trout coming back?
