ANAHEIM — Angels celebrity Mike Trout had hassle holding again his tears on Tuesday as he described yet one more damage that’s anticipated to maintain him out for an prolonged time period.
Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in Monday’s 6-5 win over the Phillies and can endure surgical procedure within the coming days, common supervisor Perry Minasian introduced. It’s not anticipated to be a season-ending operation, however no rapid timetable was supplied from the Angels or Trout.
“It’s powerful,” mentioned an emotional Trout previous to the Angels’ 7-5 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday night time at Angel Stadium. “It’s simply irritating. However we’ll get by means of it.”
Trout, 32, mentioned the toughest half is he’s not even certain when he sustained the damage. He had no knee points main as much as Monday’s sequence opener, however felt one thing whereas jogging off the sphere within the third inning. Trout continued to play by means of the damage, together with stealing second base within the seventh inning and scoring the eventual profitable run from second base on a wild pitch. However his knee continued to worsen and he underwent an MRI examination on Tuesday that exposed the harm.
“It’s loopy as a result of once I look again, I don’t even know once I did it,” Trout mentioned. “Within the third inning once I was going again to the dugout, I felt an ache, however similar to a little bit ache the place it was extra like, ‘That is bizarre.’ Didn’t suppose something of it and was hitting and operating and didn’t really feel something. Stole second, felt nothing. It was simply after I did exercise and sat again down and bought again up, that’s once I felt it.”
Trout was off to a powerful begin to his season with a .220/.325/.541 line and 10 house runs, which had been tied with Gunnar Henderson for essentially the most within the Majors. Trout has additionally been extra lively on the bases this yr, with as many steals (six) as he had within the final 4 years mixed.
Trout known as it one other freak damage that was out of his management and was clearly pissed off by the prospect of lacking time but once more.
“It’s all guesses, attempting to pinpoint the place this got here from,” Trout mentioned. “You play the sport onerous and [stuff] occurs.”
Sadly for Trout and the Angels, accidents have turn into a recurring theme lately. Trout performed in simply 82 video games final yr because of a fractured wrist and 36 video games in 2021 because of a proper calf pressure. He cleared 100 video games performed in 2022 however has not performed in 130 or extra video games since 2019.
“We’re going to overlook Mike,” supervisor Ron Washington mentioned. “I believe we all know what he means to this group. However the factor about baseball is, when there is a recreation on the schedule, you must play. Some guys are going to get the chance that they have been craving. Now, we will see what they’re going to do.”
With Trout out, the Angels signed veteran Kevin Pillar to a one-year deal value $740,000 on Tuesday so as to add to an outfield that consists of Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak. Infelders Luis Rengifo, Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker have some expertise there, whereas Bryce Teodosio and Jordyn Adams provide depth at Triple-A Salt Lake.
“Perry goes to do one thing to assist us, get some folks in right here and we’ll see how they slot in,” Washington mentioned. “You would possibly see Adell in heart area typically, you would possibly see Rengifo on the market typically and, in fact, you’ll see Moniak.”
Moniak has struggled this yr after a breakout season in 2023, however he’s anticipated to get extra common taking part in time in Trout’s absence. He was considered one of a number of gamers who talked with Trout about his damage within the clubhouse earlier than the sport.
“That’s our captain, that’s our man, our chief,” Moniak mentioned. “Him taking place goes to be powerful. We’re simply going to have to carry it down till he’s again and wholesome. However it’s brutal.”
Minasian mentioned it’s a possibility for others like Moniak to step up whereas the Angels additionally navigate with out fellow veteran Anthony Rendon, who’s out with a high-grade partial hamstring tear.
“This crew shouldn’t be constructed on one participant, it is not constructed on two gamers,” Minasian mentioned. “We’re going to have some guys step up. That is the place having a veteran supervisor and having a veteran teaching workers actually come in useful.”
Trout mentioned he doesn’t know the total particulars of his upcoming operation or the rehab simply but, however that he plans to nonetheless be there for his teammates.
“It hurts proper now however I’ve to have a look at the positives,” Trout mentioned. “I’ll be again in a number of months. Crush the rehab and assist my teammates.”