Los Angeles Angels’ star outfielder Mike Trout expressed optimism about his return this season despite suffering a broken left wrist when he fouled off a pitch in a game on Monday night. Trout stated that he has received messages from other players who have dealt with similar injuries, and while the recovery time can vary, he believes it won’t be season-ending.
Trout, a three-time American League MVP, had been selected to his 11th All-Star team before the injury occurred. He expressed disappointment about missing the All-Star Game, as he had been looking forward to it. Prior to the injury, Trout was hitting .263 with 18 home runs and 44 RBIs for the season.
Angels manager Phil Nevin mentioned that the team will seek one more medical opinion on Trout’s wrist, but based on his previous experience with players who have had similar injuries, Nevin believes Trout will be back with the team at some point this year. In the meantime, Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell will fill in for Trout in center field.
Nevin emphasized that the team is still in a good position, despite Trout’s absence. They are currently three games above .500 and in third place in the AL West. Nevin also mentioned the importance of not putting too much pressure on Shohei Ohtani, the team’s two-way star who leads the league in home runs, and ensuring he doesn’t feel the need to do too much in Trout’s absence.
The injury bug slammed into the Angels again on Tuesday night, as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani gave up consecutive home runs for the first time in his major league career, with his outing was cut short as he left the game with a blister on his right middle finger after allowing the homers to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth in the sixth inning. The Angels eventually lost the game 8-5.
Ohtani’s departure from the game came shortly after the Angels received news of Mike Trout’s extended absence due to a broken left wrist. Ohtani expressed doubt about his pitching availability for the upcoming All-Star Game, stating that he was planning on not pitching. However, if he remains healthy enough, he could still participate as the starting designated hitter for the American League.
The blister issue on Ohtani’s finger arose after his start was pushed back a day due to a cracked fingernail. Despite the setback, Ohtani remained optimistic about healing in time for his next start as a pitcher, which is approximately nine to ten days away.