ANAHEIM, Calif. — For the third time in the last four seasons, Mike Trout’s year has ended prematurely because of injury.
The three-time MVP will miss the rest of 2024 with a second meniscus tear of his left knee, the team announced, and he later confirmed.
“After months of hard work, I was devastated (Wednesday) when an MRI showed a tear in my meniscus that will require surgery again,” Trout posted on X. “Playing and competing is a huge part of my life. This is equally as heartbreaking and frustrating for me as it is for you, the fans.”
The circumstances of how Trout tore his meniscus again are unclear. He initially had surgery for a tear May 3, and after a longer-than-usual recovery, he began a rehab assignment last week at Triple A.
His rehab assignment lasted just two innings, and he returned to Anaheim for further evaluation after some discomfort. An MRI came back clean, and Trout said he expected an imminent restart of his rehab process.
However, he started to feel significant pain Monday, Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. Follow-up imaging revealed the tear. It is unclear whether there was a specific incident that caused him to become reinjured.
— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) August 1, 2024
“I’m not the emotional type, but being in the room with him and hearing the news was tough,” Minasian said. “Nobody wants to play more, nobody cares about this building, this fan base, this team, more than he does. He’s going to come back … he’s going to win the MVP, and he’s going to hit 70 home runs. Book it.”
The tear of the meniscus was in a different spot, Minasian said. So it was not necessarily a retear of his initial injury.
“There’s no event,” he said. “This is not somebody that is out playing one-on-one basketball. You know how committed this guy is to getting back. I know everybody’s like, ‘What happened? Why?’ I get it. I have the same questions. With that being said, sometimes things happen. And sometimes, that’s the answer.”
Minasian added that the Angels haven’t discussed moving Trout out of center field, or how they’re going to have to manage his body. At this point, however, Trout’s durability is of legitimate concern. He will have played an average of 66.5 games per season over the last four years.
Trout missed the last four-plus months of 2021 with a calf strain. He missed a month in 2022 with a back injury. He missed the second half of last season with a hamate fracture. And now, in 2024, the knee issues have persisted.
“The injuries are real. I get it,” Minasian said. “Those are facts. I also know this is someone who will do everything he possibly can to get back on the field. We need to make contingency plans for everybody on the roster.”
The reality, though, is that Trout is not just anybody. He is an all-time superstar under contract for the next six seasons, and owed more than $210 million. Notable changes might need to be made to how the Angels deal with his workload, and how often he plays the field.
“No, there’s a lot of people that have had meniscus operations,” manager Ron Washington said when asked whether they’ll need to manage Trout differently next year. “It’s just unfortunate that his popped again. He’s going to get strong, he’s going to get into spring training, he’s going to prepare for a season, and we’re looking forward to when he returns.”
Minasian said the team had already been discussing possible swing changes with Trout in recent weeks. The GM said Trout was “really, really excited” about implementing them upon his return.
On top of Trout’s injuries, his on-field performance when healthy was not the same as it had been during his best years. He hit just .220 with an .867 OPS this season, well below career averages.
It is a difficult time for Trout, who will turn 33 on Aug. 7. After nine years with almost no health issues — nine years when he was unequivocally the game’s best offensive player — the last four seasons have marked a drastic shift.
The Angels still believe Trout can be an MVP in the future. The present, however, offers a far more bleak outlook.
“It makes us all speechless,” said Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who has stepped up as a team leader over the last year. “I feel for him more than anyone. I feel for his family too. Beckham (Trout) loves coming and watching his dad ball out, as do we. So, yes, it’s frustrating news.”
(Photo of Mike Trout: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
