WEST SACRAMENTO -- Angels superstar Mike Trout took a big step in his recovery from the bone bruise in his left knee, as he progressed to jogging on the field on Monday and had no issues, he said Tuesday.
Trout, who sustained the injury while trying to beat out an infield single on April 30, didn’t run before Tuesday’s game against the Athletics but will continue to ramp things up. He said his final hurdle will be running the bases before he’s cleared to return.
“I came out, I feel good,” Trout said. “I’m really excited with where I'm at right now. We're upping the intensity and there’s no soreness.”
Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, said there’s no timeline for his return just yet. But based on his current progression it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to return before the end of the month. Trout, though, said he doesn’t have a date circled at this point.
“I wish,” Trout said. “I just trust what they tell me. They’ve got a routine for me every day, just building it up and hopefully to get running the bases here. I think running the bases is a big hurdle. Just have to make sure I come in and don’t have any crazy soreness.”
Trout has been able to hit in the cages without any issues and has also been playing catch. The 33-year-old said it’s allowed him to work on his mechanics, as he’s been cleared to swing for several weeks. He was hitting .179/.264/.462 with nine homers, a double, a triple, two stolen bases and 18 RBIs in 29 games before suffering the injury to his knee, which was surgically repaired twice last year.
“The hitting has been unbelievable,” Trout said. “I’ve been hitting and throwing every day. No pain with that. Been hitting off the tee, flips, from live arms and the machine. No pain, no issues.”
Trout added he doesn’t believe he’ll need a rehab assignment before returning. Last year, after tearing his left meniscus in late April, he played one rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on July 23, only to reinjure his knee that required season-ending surgery.
“I don’t want to do it,” Trout said. “They haven’t said anything but if I had any input I wouldn’t want to do it.”
Angels manager Ron Washington said he’s been encouraged by Trout’s progress and knows that Trout is itching to get back on the field. He ran at roughly 50-60 percent intensity on Monday and felt good enough to run harder but had to listen to the training staff.
“I'm pretty excited too,” Washington said. “He wanted to do more, but he's on a ramp-up program, and we're not going to rush it because we don’t want any setbacks. I'm more than certain Mike probably told you he’s ready to go now, but we’ve got to hold Mike back until we certainly check every box. But he's coming along. This eagerness to get back on the field is mounting.”
Trout has also been impressed by the way the Angels have played in his absence. They entered Tuesday on a four-game winning streak, including a Freeway Series sweep against the Dodgers over the weekend. They’ve gone 9-8 in May without Trout, as the offense has started to wake up recently.
“I love it,” Trout said. “It's fun to see the bats in great at-bats in the last few games we've been winning. When we get knocked down, we keep fighting. And I think passing the baton offensively has just been the key so far.”