Playing in just one game in late August before returning to the injured list, Mike Trout has been out of the Los Angeles Angels lineup for a large chunk of the season as he recovers from a left hamate fracture.
The star centerfielder was forced to take his foot off the gas pedal after his hand didn’t feel quite right following his initial return from surgery. Being placed on the IL on Aug. 25, the largest incentive towards another return would be ending the year with the feel of game speed.
Posting an .857 on-base plus slugging with 18 home runs, 44 RBI and 54 runs scored was more of the same for the 32-year-old. But his injury riddled chunk of years has taken over a lot of the buzz surrounding his status in Major League Baseball.
But with a slot to return, Trout is doing what he can within the recommendations of team doctors and officials, via MLB.com:
On Sept. 4, Trout underwent further testing on his hand, which revealed no structural damage. He was with the club on its final road trip of the year, and he will ramp things up with an aim to return before the end of the season. He hit off a tee on Sept. 22 and there’s still a chance he returns at some point during the final week, but he’s running out of time.
Trout has appeared in 82 games this season, after playing in just 119 a season ago. He hasn’t played in more than 140 games since 2016, and with time ticking on his peak window of performance, the question of if he’ll have the same shot in an Angels uniform is prevalent.
Did Angels star Shohei Ohtani have second Tommy John?
After being taken out of his Aug. 3 start against the Seattle Mariners, there was some concern over the cramping in his fingers. The team suggested Ohtani have imaging done on his arm, to which he reportedly declined, and his camp maintained their confidence in his production, which also continued.
But as the last month unfolded for Ohtani, his arm began to give him trouble, making surgery an inevitable outcome. Following the procedure on Tuesday, his management commented on his current health.
With a critical free agency period upcoming, Ohtani’s outlook is fairly optimistic, but the nature of the surgery begs the question if he did indeed have a second Tommy John surgery. His surgeon commented, providing insight into his future.
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