Mike Trout has been out of the Los Angeles Angels lineup since April 29, when the superstar suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery. Trout was ruled out indefinitely and was going to play his rehab process by ear to see when he could make a return to the lineup.
Trout had made some progress in recent weeks, swinging in batting cages and lifting weights. However, he hadn’t faced live pitching or done any significant running, making it look as though his return was still a ways away. But things can happen quickly, especially when it comes to injury recovery.
The Angels superstar has progressed at rapid speed through the last few steps of the process, facing live pitching over the weekend and preparing for a short stint with Triple-A Salt Lake City before returning to the Halos, via MLB.com:
He went to Arizona to face live pitching on July 20 and was on track to start a short rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake before being activated.
After facing live pitching and participating in outfield drills on July 20, Trout is expected to start his rehab assignment on July 23 — and could return to the Angels as early as July 25 to begin the Angels’ homestand against the A’s.
Trout being able to return as early as Thursday is a huge development for the Angels. Especially if he only needs a two-game rehab stint with Triple-A, that means his live swinging and other steps went exceptionally well and he is feeling as healthy as possible before stepping back out onto the field.
And while his return won’t change the Angels’ fortunes this season — they are still all but guaranteed to sell at the trade deadline — it could provide something positive for the team in 2025. Seeing Trout alongside the young core of the roster may give L.A. an idea of what they could look like next season, changing how they approach the offseason.
If Trout and the young cornerstones show signs of life at the end of the year, it could convince the Angels to make a more concerted push to improve the roster in the offseason. If they struggle, perhaps they could lean furhter into the rebuild with offseason deals.
Either way, fans and the organization alike are excited to have the superstar rejoining the lineup this week.
Angels reveal 2025 season schedule
The Angels unveiled their 2025 MLB season schedule on Thursday. Although the 2024 season still has the entire second half, the Angels likely being sellers at the trade deadline pushes the intrigue to next year, when L.A. is hopeful to have a refreshed farm system and a new outlook on the team’s future.
The Angels open on a six-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. This should give them a lighter start to the year in exchange for beginning on the road. Their first home stand sees them face the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays.