Angels star Mike Trout needs knee surgery for torn meniscus

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout, the Angels’ celebrity heart fielder who has been hampered by a litany of accidents in recent times, suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee that can require surgical procedure.

The Angels didn’t announce a timetable for Trout’s restoration whereas revealing the damage Tuesday, however sources conversant in the state of affairs mentioned a best-case situation may very well be 4 to 6 weeks. A real timeline, nonetheless, cannot be decided till docs take a more in-depth have a look at Trout’s knee. Surgical procedure is predicted to happen sooner or later this week, with a supply indicating it might occur Friday.

Trout, thought of one of many recreation’s greatest gamers earlier than accidents frequently sidelined him over the previous three seasons, was on the verge of tears whereas addressing the media.

“It is simply irritating,” Trout mentioned, getting choked up. “However we’ll get by way of it.”

Most irritating to Trout, 32, is that he cannot pinpoint the second the damage passed off. He performed the whole thing of Monday’s 6-5, come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, stealing a base and even scoring from second on a wild pitch and an error. Halfway by way of the third inning, he started to really feel “a bit of little bit of ache” within the knee.

“Did not suppose something of it,” Trout mentioned. “After which I used to be hitting, working, did not really feel nothing.”

The soreness escalated as the sport progressed, nonetheless, prompting Trout to tell the staff’s coaching workers.

“It was simply sore,” Trout mentioned. “I used to be type of telling myself perhaps I simply banged it on one thing and I did not understand it. Then after the sport, getting therapy, it was actually sore.”

The plan at that time was to get imaging carried out if the soreness continued when he awoke the next day. On Tuesday morning, Trout mentioned, “I could not get off the bed.” A follow-up MRI revealed the meniscus tear.

“No person needs to play greater than Mike does,” Angels normal supervisor Perry Minasian mentioned. “He loves this. He loves every thing about this. He wakes up enthusiastic about it, he goes to mattress enthusiastic about it. He eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. I actually really feel for him.”

Trout’s analysis comes 4 days after third baseman Anthony Rendon revealed he’s coping with a “high-grade partial tear” in his left hamstring, making 2024 yet one more season by which the Angels will play many video games with out two of their greatest gamers. Trout and Rendon mixed to play in solely 385 of a possible 972 video games from 2021 to 2023, throughout which they made a mixed $207.85 million in wage.

Their absence this yr is much more magnified after the Angels misplaced two-way star Shohei Ohtani to the crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers over the offseason. Alternate choices stay restricted, particularly after the staff designated veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks for project Monday. Mickey Moniak is predicted to get the majority of the taking part in time in heart discipline, although utility man Luis Rengifo might play there occasionally. Later Tuesday, the Angels signed veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar for the foremost league minimal.

The Angels, 10 years faraway from their final postseason look and losers of 9 of 10 heading into this week, have an 11-19 file after Tuesday evening’s 7-5 loss to the Phillies.

“We will miss Mike,” first-year Angels supervisor Ron Washington mentioned. “I feel everyone knows what he means to this group. However the factor about baseball — there is a recreation on the schedule. It’s important to play it. It’s important to put 9 guys on the sphere. So we will put 9 guys on the sphere. Some guys are going to get the chance that they have been craving, and we’ll see what they’ll do with it.”

Trout completed first or second in American League MVP voting after seven of his first eight full seasons, placing him on monitor to probably be the best participant in baseball historical past. He collected a major-league-leading 70.5 FanGraphs wins above substitute throughout that stretch, from 2012 to 2019, throughout which he slashed .308/.422/.587 whereas accumulating 280 house runs and 196 stolen bases.

However his physique has betrayed him in recent times. Coming off the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, Trout performed in solely 237 of a possible 486 video games over the following three years. In 2021, he suffered a strained calf in the midst of Could and wound up lacking the remainder of the season. In 2022, a again damage induced him to overlook a bit of greater than a month in the midst of the summer time. And in 2023, Trout suffered a fractured hamate bone on his left hand throughout a swing on July 3, returned for one recreation on Aug. 22 and did not come again the remainder of the yr.

Trout entered the 2024 season rejuvenated. He was trying ahead to a completely wholesome season and even anticipated stealing bases extra regularly. Trout completed that by way of the Angels’ first 29 video games, hitting a major-league-leading 10 house runs whereas additionally stealing six bases, the identical whole he had from 2020 to 2023.

Now, although, he’s confronted with one other extended rehab.

“You play the sport laborious,” Trout mentioned, “and s— occurs.”

ESPN’s Jeff Passan contributed to this report.