Mike Trout had never suffered a significant injury during his successful Major League Baseball career until May 2017, when he tore a ligament in his thumb while diving toward second base.
In his first game after a 39-game absence, the power hitter stole second base — again, diving.
“I’m not going to change the way I play,” Trout said in the Los Angeles Angels locker room after that game, in words that reflected the overflowing confidence of this exceptionally talented young athlete.
Less than seven years later, on Tuesday, in the hallway outside that same Anaheim locker room, Trout had to pause several times to hold back tears as he spoke with reporters about his fourth major injury in as many years. seasons.
“It’s frustrating,” he admitted in a low voice, his head bowed. But we will get through this… I play with intensity, and this kind of thing can happen. »
Trout is nevertheless one of the best baseball players of his generation, but he can no longer claim to be the same fiery young player he was at 25 years old. Like Ken Griffey Jr. before him, the numerous injuries that marked the heart of his career affected his production at the plate.
The 32-year-old veteran’s talent and passion nevertheless flow when he’s on the field, but have not spared him in terms of injuries as he enters his second decade in the Major Leagues.
The cause of the injury remains unknown
Since the start of the 2021 season, Trout has played 266 games. The Angels’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday will be their 251e without their star player during this period.
Trout had hit 285 career long balls when he earned his third American League MVP award in 2019. The Angels center fielder has only hit 93 since that time, in part because of the season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and its numerous injuries.
The American had 1,324 hits following the 2019 season, but has been limited to 324 since that time, significantly slowing his pace toward his 2,000eor even its 3000e. His batting average (.277) and strikeout plus power rate (.958) since 2019 are also well below his career averages.
While Trout’s swing speed remains among the highest in the major leagues, he admitted that he has had some issues with his mechanics over the past two seasons — particularly with contact rate and fastballs. Trout still led the major leagues with 10 home runs when he was injured earlier this week, but his batting average had dropped to .220, with his career batting average even dipping below .300 briefly before his injury.
Trout now has a torn meniscus in his left knee. To make matters worse, he doesn’t know how it happened — perhaps by making a run to the outfield, perhaps simply by coming out of the dugout.
“No one is as hungry as Mike,” Angels manager Perry Minasian said. He loves it. He loves everything. He wakes up in the morning thinking about it. He goes to bed at night still thinking about it. He eats, drinks and sleeps for baseball. I really feel sorry for him. »