Mike Trout tore his meniscus on April 29 and underwent surgery to repair the injury shortly after. The Los Angeles Angels did not give a timetable on his return, but both he and the franchise had confidence that he would return in 2024.
That confidence looked to be paying off when Trout began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake on July 23. He started in center field and was second in the Bees lineup and was expected to play five innings in that first game. But he was removed after two innings due to soreness in the surgically-repaired knee.
The Angels star was sent home the very next day for further testing, and the team later admitted that he had suffered a setback. However, they wouldn’t give any specifics as to what that meant.
On Thursday, general manager Perry Minasian finally revealed the nature of the setback, confirming the worst case scenario: that Trout is out for the season after re-tearing his meniscus, via Sam Blum of The Athletic:
NEWS: Mike Trout is out for the season, Perry Minasian said. He suffered another meniscus tear.
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) August 1, 2024
This injury is an absolute crusher for Trout and the Angels. While the team had no visions of competing for the postseason in 2024, getting Trout back would have at least signified something to look forward to in 2025. But by re-tearing the same meniscus, it brings back an avalanche of questions surrounding Trout’s future viability in the Majors.
Trout finishes the 2024 season with 29 games played, the lowest of his career. It’s the fourth consecutive season that has ended early due to injury, the third time since 2021 that he has played under 100 games and the second time that he has played fewer than 40.
The Angels now have to take a serious look at Trout’s contract and decide if keeping him is worthwhile. Trout is owed $222.7 million over the next six seasons, and finding any team in the Majors willing to take on even a fraction of this money may be a better outcome than paying the full deal.
Where the Angels go from here is a complete mystery. As for Trout, he’ll do what he’s done for the last four years: rehab his injury and hope to try again next season.
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