Mike Trout officially confirmed what has been looking more and more obvious for some weeks now — he won’t play again in the 2021 season. The decision was actually made a few weeks ago, Trout told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters, as Trout was never able to fully recover from the right calf strain that first sent him to the injured list back in May.
“My body wasn’t allowing it. It’s been a grind and it’s been tough for me….My mind and what I wanted was telling me one thing and my body was telling me something else,” Trout said. “I was feeling really good in workouts and then [the calf] would get sore on me. It’s been a tough September for me. If we were in the race, it might be different and maybe I could play through it. But it got to the point where I needed a rehab assignment and had two weeks left and just looking at the bigger picture, it was smarter to get it right and get ready for Spring Training.”
After suffering the injury on May 17, Trout was initially projected to miss six-to-eight weeks — a lengthy absence to be sure, but nothing that appeared to be season-threatening. On multiple occasions, Trout appeared to be on the verge of beginning a minor league rehab assignment, though as he noted, continued soreness in his calf prevented him from taking the field in a proper game environment.
In something of a bitter irony, Trout said his calf is “almost 100 percent, if not 100 percent” in the two weeks since he was shut down. He fully expects to be ready for Spring Training, and is “looking forward to having a healthy offseason. Keep that same routine.”
Since the Angels were also hampered by an injury-plagued year for Anthony Rendon, mediocre defense, and another year of subpar pitching, it’s hard to say whether or not a healthy Trout would have been enough to get Los Angeles into the postseason race. However, it’s safe to assume that the Angels would have more than just 73 wins with Trout providing his usual level of superstar production. Trout was hitting an absurd .333/.466/.624 with eight home runs over 146 plate appearances, and one can only imagine the offensive fireworks that could have been generated with a healthy Trout and Rendon joining MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani in the lineup.
Trout does expect big things from the Angels in both 2022 and in the coming offseason, noting that “We have a lot of money to spend. Hopefully we go out there, get some good guys. I trust Perry [GM Perry Minasian], I trust the top guys in this organization….I’m very confident with the group up there. They’re working hard every day. They’re trying to put a winning team on the field.”
Angels need to worry about starting pitching for 2022. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for Trout. I’d put Trout as the best hitter in baseball followed by Freddie Freeman.
*isn’t the end.
I was gonna say… Wow. Lol
Good thing i waited!
Mike Trout’s about to start having the exact same problem Josh Donaldson has had for the better part of a decade. It’s literally the exact same calf injury that has plagued JD. It’s always nagging and never fully goes away. I do expect Trout to be better than Donaldson but his injury has occurred at an even earlier age than JD’s did. That’s not a good sign. Donaldson has had the occasional great season mixed in with about 3 or 4 injury marred seasons. Trout could do better than him but from a medical standpoint his injury puts him pretty close to the Josh Donaldson path. Like I said, Donaldson had the exact same injury over 5 years ago and it still plagues him today. Not good news for Trout.
See: Lonnie Chisenhall
Don’t be a Debbie Downer.
Dude, it’s a calf muscle tear. Many players have had long successful careers after suffering the same injury or worse.
Sure think Dr. You had better worry about the putrid Mets.
Exactly why these 10-12 year contracts are never worth it. You can’t predict injuries.
Juan Soto is the best hitter in baseball and it’s not even close.
Trout, Harper… it’s definitely close
It’s unbelievable that Soto’s pre-AS was considered a disappointment (by his lofty standards) but still had a .407 OBP and .851 OPS. Then comes the Derby and he’s sporting an insane 1.249 OPS since — and without Trea Turner or much protection. His power and plate discipline are generational. And he’s not even 23 yet…we’re all witnesses.
Was looking for this counter-comment. I love Tatis, Trout, Freddie…but there is a definitely a tier that only Juan Soto currently occupies when it comes to hitting a baseball. I hope the Nats don’t waste his talent like the Angels have done with Trout.
Just stop it, Freeman is not leaving Atlanta. People are idiots for even entertaining that idea.
Your comment aged pretty well…Who is the Dum Dum now?
The decision was made a few weeks ago. It was reported here a few weeks ago. Seems like a recycled story. Good luck to Trout in ’22.
The decision was made a few weeks ago. I’m po’d they just did announce it then. Us Angel fans are being led to believe he’ll be back for the last few weeks of the season.
The Angels and especially Madden up to earlier this week lied to us. As great as Ohtani has been (definitely MVP), I was more than anything waiting to see 27 in at least a few games.
Stay classy Angels.
It’s Moreno’s MO sadly for Angels fans. “Keep coming to the ballpark and watch our mediocre starting pitching because I don’t want to pay for great arms. We’ll always be in the thick of contention and fall short. Keep supporting the team and patiently wait until our superstar comes back. I may or may not get an elite pitcher or two. Oh season tickets go on sale on…”
His legacy is gonna be derailed because of being fragile
Fragile?? This is the first major time he has spent in the IL. He has missed games before but i dont think fragle even comes close. Come on now.
@kdub he hasn’t played a over 140 games since 2016
Hmmm, still doesn’t warrent fragile to me. I guess everyone has an opinion.
Fans referring to players as fragile is hysterical.
Fluke injuries though. This is the first injury that was due to age.
He missed quite a few games the last years too but it was mostly some uncontrollable injuries like breaking his hand on a slide. Those are just bad luck and not the typical reoccurring injuries (like a bad back, strained hammy, bad shoulder).
That means the hand injuries of 17 and 18 likely can’t be attributed to injury prone-Ness, that could have happened to anyone.
The more recent injuries like the foot surgery in 2019 and the calf thing are more worrysome though.
Trout has had a very durable lower body until 2019 but being 230 pounds with his kind of speed is a big stress for the lower body and maybe that is some sign of the lower body not handling that anymore.
I hope it is not though and he can come back but even if he doesn’t and has a Ken griffey like second half of his career he still is a top10-15 player all time even if he falls a bit behind the Ruth,Williams, mantle and mays group.
He’s also finished top 5 in MVP every year (and won it once) since 2016. What a jealous, dumb weirdo. Anyone hating on Mike Trout either hates baseball or hates themselves.
I kind of wonder if he would stay on the field longer if he slimmed down some, kind of more flexible but less muscle?
Fragile is an overstatement but he’s had plenty of injury problems in the past. It’s a major concern.
Injuries are injuries you can’t label a succession of them as “fluke”. You never know if other players would have also gotten injured in the same situation or missed as much time. When the injuries mount it’s a concern, not “fluke”.
I don’t understand how fans think they can look at an injury and declare it “uncontrollable”. You don’t know that. Does every player get injured on that play? Does the injured player have a tendency to slide or fall or twist wrong? You don’t know.
Slippin, I didn’t hate on him. Pointing out how his injuries are piling up and causing him to miss games, missed games that will cause his numbers to suffer, isn’t hating. It’s an unfortunate truth. Try actually reading what I said instead of whining.
The lack of playoff wins hasn’t hurt the legacies of Ted Williams or Ernie Banks, just two examples.
Fact of the matter is he is still a durable player and will be fore years to come. The halos are headed home early this year so why not rest it.
If was said that pujols or rendon or even upton looked fragile this year, i would not have argued. He will be back in good shape next season.
You may wanna look up the definition of durable. You certainly won’t see Trout’s pic next to it.
Just like some guy…if I recall correctly…dude’s name was…Mickey something? I don’t know, his legacy was derailed due to injury…
Crypto, I don’t think he needed anyone to point that out to him. It’s not the agent’s decision on where a player okays. Trout is with the Angels because that’s where he wants to be.
If I were Scherzer, I’d stay so far away from this dumpster fire of a team.
What? This is so not close to being true.
If PED’s were allowed, the best player in the game would’ve been playing, minus a few games. Positive we see him. Negative baseball records of past players. No sport needs them more. Pitching isn’t natural and overall interest in the game is declining. How many people will tune in to a Brewers vs Rays World Series? Dismal.
This has to be a joke.
In a way, yes, a joke. It’s nice to see the stars though
Pitching wins championships. The Brewers have the guys to get it done. Would love to see them in the World Series.
Agreed. I would love to see that rotation in the World Series.
It would be fun to see if Counsell somehow found a way to score the winning run in game 7…even though he’s the Manager
Escalating contracts refutes the notion that interest in the game is declining. Long-range interest in the game is probably on the upswing. Better TV deals for the sport, which drives the bus. There’s also more exciting young talent in the game than at any time in my lifetime. Many of these players have a needed flair that’s sure to appeal to younger fans.
The idea that people won’t watch a Braves-Brewers World Series isn’t true. A particularly low-rated WS was the one between the Yankees and Mets. Baseball fans will watch, regardless of which teams are involved.
Btw, I have a friend who’s been saying baseball is on its deathbed since 1980 when I met him. He’s been wrong the entire way. Compare baseball finances in 1980 to now. The sport is in better shape today and it isn’t close.
The people won’t watch a “Braves-Brewers World Series” because they are both in the National League. Brewers have been in NL since 1998.
No fish for the penguin!
Go, Dodgers! (Tonight Dodgers are down to Dbacks and SF is beating Rockies)
Wild card game, Scherzer is starter, Urias is super closer. Don’t trust Jansen in a one game series. Red birds are already studying Scherzer, no doubt about it.
Jansen has been the best closer in baseball this season other than Josh Hader. Since July 24, no one has been better. Dodger fans need to do a better job appreciating this guy. He’s a true warrior who has overcome health problems that would send most people on permanent disability. Yet here he is, one of the very best at what he does. There’s nothing negative about Kenley Jansen. The anti-Treinen. WTF, Andrew Friedman.
Kenley Jansen since July 24:
G 27; IP – 27.2; H – 11; ER – 4; BB – 10; SO – 36; ERA – 1.30; WHIP – 0.76
SAVES – 14/14
There are also MLB baseball camps which exist for some years now in China, the world’s largest population. That’s going to bear fruit in the forthcoming years. Whatever feelings some may have towards the country, this can’t be bad for geopolitics.
Younger fans — the kinds MLB needs to attract — won’t care. They are more accepting than older generations of Americans. People my age need to welcome the new breed of baseball fans with open arms. If I’m MLB, I’m doing all I can to make the game more to their liking.
Gotta chime in…a TB/Mil series…..woof (at least to watch)
$400M=no playoffs.
He needs to beg for a trade.
Angels might want think about moving Trout to a corner. They need to start worrying about wear and tear on his body and that could help
Damn. This puts a tiny dent in the hall of fame plaque numbers. Not devastating. But a dent nonetheless.
Nice to see Lyman Bostock’s name. An outstanding ballplayer and gentleman who signed a big-money contract with the Angels, and then tried to turn down his first month’s pay after a slow start. I was devastated by his death (growing up, the Angels were my second-favorite team after the Dodgers).
Bostock’s big-money contract? Six years for a total of $2.3 million. Times have changed just a little.
Now find a way to get Mike Trout in the post-season. Baseball fans need to see it.
Appreciate that man. Just trying to bring a little awareness to him and his story. He was a great player and a man of immense integrity. I see your comments on here a lot and I enjoy them. You usually add something interesting and well thought out.
Thanks. Minnesota had quite an outfield during Bostock’s final year there with him, Larry Hisle, and Dan Ford, along with Rod Carew at first base. But they lost Bostock and Hisle to free agency that off-season, then Carew and Ford the next year in a couple of trades to the Angels. What a cheapskate franchise. It’s a shame Bostock and Carew never got to play together in Anaheim.
It’s the beginning of the end
Hope he’s not following the same injury trajectory as Ken Griffey Jr
Angels are just 3 or 4 players from the World Series. Unfortunately, they are Scherzer, Kershaw, Gausman and Ray.
Still, if you are going to root for a sub 0.500 team, you might as well have Ohtani, Trout and Rendon.
Time to trade Mike Trout to the Dodgers or Yankees.
Yankees don’t have the good players that justify a trade with them.
That doesn’t make any sense
$37 million just don’t get you what it used to.
Mike trout should have gotten the Billon dollar life time contract.
As an Angels fan I rather trade trout if it mean to have a winning championship team.
Juan Soto should be the first baseball player to sign a 1/2 billion dollar contract.
No reason to play.
As was the case in Anaheim for most of the season….
I’m surprised Trout didn’t get surgery on his calf. The tear had to be pretty significant for him to miss that much time. They need to do something if it could possibly prevent this from being a recurring, Donaldson-type injury. If this does end up being recurring, Trout becomes a station to station DH much earlier in his career than he should be. That would be terrible for baseball if that happened as Trout has another 3+ years of his prime left, if healthy of course.
Maybe Trout, the Angels, and medical staff wants him to play at 100% recovery, not 75% to 85% in meaningless games. He’s got a career contract that has ways to go. I really don’t understand the Donaldson doom-and-gloom comparisons here.
He needs to follow Arenado’s example and get outta there and hook up with a team that has a chance. Is he really going to have a HOF career without any playoff success?
Is it really possible for him to not be at least elected to the HOF. ????
There isn’t any need for Trout to do that. I give him credit for committing to the team that drafted him. He likes it there. Neither Tony Gwynn nor Ted Williams ever won a World Series. Ernie Banks never played in one. Yet their fabulous legacies are secure forever. Life and being part of a team or organization is so much more than winning a championship. And if Trout does end up winning a title with the Angels, it will be a great thing for all baseball fans.
Lol, title? With that team? Good luck with that. Two of the “greatest players’ and they can’t make the playoffs. That’s a joke.
@bostonbob – this is baseball, not the NBA or NHL. MLB teams can have 2 of the best players in the game and not even sniff the playoffs. Baseball, more than any other professional sport, needs much more than two stars to make a team playoff worthy. They need a minimum of 3 plus good pitchers, a solid bullpen and even more than just 2 offensive stars. If this same Angels roster comes back and can stay healthy next year, maybe they win 85 games, but they aren’t going to the playoffs without major additions to their pitching staff. Trout, Rendon & Ohtani can only win so many games with their bats. They need good pitching to get to the playoffs. Arte needs to spend all of his money there in the off season.
@Dorothy_Mantooth see 2021 San Francisco Giants
Yes, it is possible. Trout is already a lock for the HOF. Does that answer your ridiculous question?
Anyone that thinks a great player shouldn’t be in the HOF because his team doesn’t have success should just stop watching sports altogether.
This shutdown was obvious “a few weeks ago” and should have been announced “a few weeks ago.” The Angels are a frustrating franchise.
Still the best player in baseball but he can’t stay on the field. 5th consecutive year he has missed meaningful time during the season due to injury.
At some point soon, the Angels are going to have to think about moving him to a 1B/DH role to try to keep him in the lineup.
Ken Griffey Jr had his last healthy season at age 30 with the Reds in 2000. Spent more time on the DL than the field in his 30s. Doubt Trout’s career ends that differently unless he moves to DH full-time sooner than later.
Griffey had an experimental operation dubbed “The Griffey Operation” where his hamstring was reattached with screws. Don’t think trout is anywhere near that. Marsh is here to move him to left field. Trout already mentioned 3 seasons ago he wasnt stealing anymore bases to protect nerve damage in his foot. Sucks gettin long in the tooth. Even when you were the best.
Where’s Mike Scioscia? He was good at squeezing SS much talent as there was out of a roster. Seems like ever since he’s been fired it’s the opposite for the Angels
Regarding the timing of the amouncement of the decision I wonder if the ownership asked trout to delay the amouncement so they can sell a few more tickets for the final weeks. Some guys probably ordered some tickets for the final week hoping to see trout again before the year is over.
Otherwise it doesn’t make sense to announce it now when the decision was made weeks ago.
Milwaukee vs. Tampa Bay?
Nope…..
St.Louis Cardinals vs. New York Yankees
A player of Trout’s ability is an inestment today just like a commodity, Rather then take a risk, we all lose by not seeing him play, that’s the sad state of baseball today.
I had no idea there were so many medical professionals and MLB consultants posting on here.
It doesn’t take a medical degree to look at all of the injuries and games missed piling up.
It’s going to be incredibly sad to see Trout be the next Ernie Banks or Griffey of baseball
I don’t see the Angels making the playoffs in my lifetime I’m 49… I’ll eat my hat if I’m wrong
But they don’t invest in pitching and don’t ever seem to sign an impact player ever!
Trout should demand a trade to a contending team!
I’d love to see #MikeTrout get Traded to The New York Yankees