The Los Angeles Angels' 2024 season remains unstable, and things might get worse as their field leader, Mike Trout, is out indefinitely.
General manager Perry Minasian announced that the 11-time All-Star will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Trout said he did not know when the injury occurred.
Before the announcement, Trout played all nine innings in their win against the Philadelphia Phillies. So far, he has played 24 games as a designated hitter and center field.
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"Third inning, after the inning was over, I was running in to the dugout, I felt like a little bit of ache in my knee," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"Not like a serious ache, like, 'That was weird.' Didn't think anything of it. Was hitting, running, didn't feel nothing. Scoring from second, nothing. It was just after, when I did activity and I sat down and got back up, that's when I started feeling it."
The three-time American League MVP has been sensational this year. He has a batting record of .220 with a league-leading ten home runs, 14 RBIs, and six stolen bases.
GM Minasian remains hopeful
Being out indefinitely does not mean he will be out for the whole season.
This is why Minasian is not losing hope that Trout will be able to return.
A surgery on a torn meniscus typically requires the patient to recover for six to nine months, depending on the severity of the injury.
The player himself is also optimistic about his recovery timeline.
"I've talked to a couple of guys in there that's had" meniscus repair," he said.
"It's a pretty simple procedure. I'll have it right away and get back as fast as I can, (but) this is tough."
For now, the team has to deal with the upcoming games limping. Aside from Trout, they already don't have Anthony Rendon, who is also out indefinitely due to a torn hamstring announced in early April.
Rendon and Trout are the team's two highest-paid players.
Mike Trout injury history
Trout was a dominant force in the 2010s, winning three MVPs during the decade.
A series of injuries, however, slowed him down in the 2020s.
He missed all but 36 games in 2021 due to a strained calf and several weeks the following season due to a back injury.
In 2023, he was out for a month due to a fracture on his left hamate bone.
Trout has had success individually, but the Los Angeles Angels have not made a significant achievement since 2014.
They reached the postseason just once since 2010. They reached the American League Division Series in 2014 when they lost to the Kansas City Royals, 3-0.
They had two superstars from 2018 to 2023 when they acquired another MVP in Shohei Ohtani, who moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers for playoffs aspirations, but still failed to make the playoffs.
Right now, they are 11-18 in the standings, good enough for fourth place in the AL West.
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