During the Los Angeles Angels’ April 30 defeat to the Seattle Mariners, Mike Trout sustained a bruise on his left knee bone. A day later, he was placed on the 15-day IL. Since then, L.A. has struggled to stay afloat in the AL West and is at 4-5. This club one again feels outmatched overall on most nights, even though the Angels could profit from a poor division.
Ron Washington is just in his second season as head coach, and the team is now 16–22 on the season. He is the convenient scapegoat for yet another failed season, but we can hardly hold him responsible for the godawful front office in Anaheim, much alone Trout’s infamously poor injury luck.
Fortunately for Washington (and Angels supporters worldwide), Trout is showing signs of making a quick comeback. On Sunday, he gave reporters a very optimistic update.
Trout said, “I feel good,” to MLB.com. “The past several days have been really good. I’ve been swinging for the past three days, but I’m not jogging. I have no pain when I swing up to 40 times. In the cage, it flips off the tee. However, running will be the most important thing.
Trout is anticipated to accelerate his running development during the Angels’ next three-game road trip in San Diego, but he won’t be returning today, when he is first eligible to leave the injured list.
Mike Trout’s imminent return could be what Ron Washington needs to save his job
Trout, who played in all 29 games for the Angels before the injury, has had a mixed season. The 33-year-old, who has been a poor defender and mediocre at the plate, was moved to right field in an effort of preservation. Though Trout’s.179 batting average and.727 OPS are far below his career norms, his nine home runs and 18 RBI serve as a reminder of his remarkable slugging talent.
Trout is still by far the greatest player on the Angels, even as he enters this post-superstar era of his career. He is their last genuine chance for respectability and a postseason run. The average will undoubtedly rise again if you give him enough time. Even while it’s not very high, his predicted batting average of.248 indicates that his lackluster early-season performance may be due in part to bad luck.
Through thick and thin, Trout has shown a level of dedication to Anaheim that is uncommon among modern-day sports stars. The Angels have shown him a serious front office approach, but Trout deserves much more from the organization and the baseball gods. Once the sport’s most dependable player, Trout’s historic career has been derailed by injury after injury, and he now deserves a semi-healthy season.
There is still hope for the season if the Angels can get Trout back soon. Washington’s job security isn’t either. We are aware that Washington is a knowledgeable presence with a unique touch on the positional front, despite the difficulties Los Angeles has had over the last few years.
We can only hope that Mike Trout will be healthy enough to play the rest of the 2025 season.
