Trout lands on IL, hopes his stay is minimal

ANAHEIM -- Angels superstar Mike Trout, who exited Wednesday's 9-3 loss to the Mariners after jamming his surgically repaired left knee on a sprint to first base in the third inning, was placed on the 10-day injured list before Friday’s game against the Tigers.

Trout underwent testing on the knee that revealed no structural damage. But a bone bruise was enough to land him on the IL yet again, as he’s struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. Trout, though, was optimistic when talking to reporters before the game and believes it will be a short stint on the IL.

“I feel a lot better,” Trout said. “Yesterday, I was pretty sore. I’m not concerned, at all. It’s way better than what happened last year. Just looking at the MRI, structurally it’s all good. Just bruising around the bones. Just let that thing calm down and be good to go.”

Angels general manager Perry Minasian didn’t have an exact timetable for Trout, though he said it’s not an aggravation of the meniscus injury he had repaired in his left knee last year.

“Hopefully, it’s better sooner than later,” Minasian said. “Time frame-wise, I have no clue. Until he can start running, that's probably the first threshold. We'll know more once he starts running.”

Trout had gone 1-for-2 to start his day on Wednesday. In the third inning, he got jammed on a 94.2 mph sinker from Emerson Hancock and cued it the other way before bolting down the line at 29.7 ft./sec. -- his fastest sprint speed of the season -- but had to stretch a bit while lunging to the base. Trout said doctors explained to him that the bones in his knee hit together when he landed on the bag, which caused the bruises.

“I just lunged for the bag, and talking to the doctors, I had my meniscus shaved down twice and I just hit it perfectly on the bag,” Trout said. “Both bones hit each other and I bruised both of them.”

Trout went back out to right field for the bottom of the third, but when his spot in the order came up next, with two on and two out in the fourth, manager Ron Washington sent Jo Adell out to hit.

After the game, Trout said that he felt all right coming back into the dugout after the play itself, but when he went out to right field, it started to feel “weird.”

After leaving the game, Trout was able to get checked by a doctor and undergo basic tests, all of which Trout said came back clean. Combined with ice and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, Trout said he already felt improvement by the time the game ended, but it flared up again on Thursday.

The three-time MVP has a .179/.264/.462 slash line in 29 games this season and had played in all of the club’s games until Thursday. His nine home runs are tied for fourth in the Majors.

“We were struggling when Mike was in it, but I still like his presence,” Washington said. “I don't care what Mike does in the sense that he has a track record. 
All I want is his presence.”

The Angels called up first baseman/outfielder Niko Kavadas (their No. 30 prospect) from Triple-A Salt Lake to take Trout’s spot on the roster. Jorge Soler started in right field Thursday and is the most likely player to see time at that position in Trout’s absence. Gustavo Campero, who was called up on Tuesday, also adds depth there.

“I'd like to see the whole team step up,” Washington said. “That's been our issue, just trying to get guys to step up. For some reason, our little funk has involved everybody, so I like to see everybody step up here.”

It’s an untimely injury scare for Trout, who has reached the 100-game threshold in just one of the previous four seasons. His blazing start to the 2024 season was cut short exactly one year and one day ago with a torn meniscus in his left knee; he recovered from that injury in time to begin a rehab assignment in July, but only played two innings of it before feeling more discomfort, and further testing revealed another separate tear that ultimately ended his season.

Trout, though, is hoping he could return once eligible after his 10 days are up.

“I think that’s definitely possible,” Trout said. “The doctor told me to stay off it for a couple days and [then] I’ll get back into it.”