The Los Angeles Angels began the night with some good news, as superstar Mike Trout was geared up to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake. It was the first time he’d taken the field for game action since he suffered a torn meniscus on April 29.
Trout started in center field and was second in the batting order for the Bees, and was expected to play five innings in his return. Having been nearly three months since his last playing time, the Angels wanted to be slow and deliberate with his rehab assignment.
But the bad news came early into the start, as Trout was removed after two innings with knee soreness in the surgically-repaired knee. He handled three fly balls in the two innings and struck out looking in his only plate appearance. But this could be a setback for the superstar, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“Take it one game at a time,” Trout said. “See how I am. See how I recover from playing tonight, and go from there.”
Originally, there was hope that Trout would be able to return to the Angels lineup as soon as Thursday against the Oakland Athletics. But with him getting removed after only two innings, that may no longer be in the cards. How Trout wakes up on Wednesday will be a big determining factor in his next steps.
The Angels were certainly hopeful to get their star back before the trade deadline on July 30. Not because the Angels want to see if they can compete with him, but to have a center fielder back in the lineup in case other outfielders are dealt within the next week.
Angels could be busy at trade deadline
The Los Angeles Angels have yet to make any deals at this point. That is expected to change, though, as they have frequently been seen as one of the league’s top sellers and could part ways with a significant portion of their Major League roster.
The name most frequently mentioned in trade talks has been closer Carlos Estévez. As a reliever having an incredible season on an expiring contract, he has very high value and would be sought after by just about every contending team in the league. But it’s not just Estévez.
The Angels have a long list of players that opposing teams value, and Jeff Passan of ESPN broke down exactly how busy the team could be in the next seven days.