The Los Angeles Angels have fallen on hard times early on in the 2024 MLB season. Anthony Rendon is expected to miss significant time with a hamstring injury, Aaron Hicks was designated for assignment and Halo pitching has struggled beyond what was expected. Now, superstar Mike Trout is facing a long stint on the injured list as well.
Trout has been hot and cold to begin the 2024 season. His overall numbers — a .220/.365/.541 slash line with an .867 OPS — suggest a slump. However, Trout had a 1.019 OPS through 19 games and was the first to hit 10 home runs in the Majors this season. This makes Tuesday’s news all the more frustrating for Trout, the Angels and Halos fans.
It was revealed on Tuesday afternoon that Trout is expected to undergo knee surgery on a torn mensicus. Angels general manager Perry Minasian does not believe the surgery is season-ending, though, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN:
NEWS: Mike Trout needs surgery on his knee, sources tell me and @JeffPassan. The extent is not known, but a source said it is not expected to be season-ending.
Story shortly on ESPN.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 30, 2024
It’s a torn meniscus, Angels GM Perry Minasian shuts announced. No timetable right now.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 30, 2024
The standard timetable for a torn meniscus can range from 6-10 weeks, meaning Trout could return somewhere between mid-June and mid-July. However, knee injuries are often tricky, and there is no one size fits all approach to recovery.
It’s unclear exactly when Trout suffered the injury, as he was not removed from Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 0-for-3 with a walk, a strikeout and a run scored. The severity of the injury does suggest that Trout will return this season, but the Angels are not going to commit to a specific timetable.
