In Anaheim, California, Mike Trout is preparing to resume running next week as he works on his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee. The 33-year-old Los Angeles Angels star clarified on Saturday that he would not be returning to the team lineup when he becomes eligible to exit the injured list on Sunday. However, Trout is optimistic that his time away due to this injury will not be lengthy.
Trout has been swinging a bat in the cage for the past three days. He is hopeful to experiment with running exercises as the Angels hit the road for a series in San Diego starting next week. He described the possibility of testing out his knee as “a good possibility.”
“It’s been great,” Trout remarked, adding, “I was worried in the beginning, but the sharpness (of pain) I was feeling after that day in Seattle is gone.”
Trout has been sidelined since an April 30 game against the Mariners, where he exited due to knee soreness later diagnosed as a bone bruise. Last year, he underwent two knee surgeries after tearing his meniscus.
This season, Trout initially played all 29 games for the Angels but has now missed his ninth straight game as they faced the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. Since May 17, 2021, Trout has been absent from 387 of the Angels’ 646 games, amounting to nearly 60%. Previously, a calf muscle tear sidelined him for the entire 2021 season.
Trout also missed five weeks in the 2022 season due to a back injury and was absent for half of the 2023 season following a hand fracture from being hit by a pitch. Last season, he played only 29 games, failing to maintain his health through April.
Currently, Trout’s injury does not seem serious enough to jeopardize the entire season, providing major relief after enduring five years riddled with injuries. “I don’t have a day (for a return), but I feel great,” Trout commented. He elaborated, “I feel good. Talking to the doctors, it’s kind of like a scab kind of thing. We’re just adding exercises each and every day, and (continuing) if it’s feeling good … but (there’s) no soreness, so we’ll keep progressing like that.”