It had been heading this way for quite some time, but Mike Trout officially revealed that he is shutting it down for the 2021 season. He and the Los Angeles Angels had been vigorously working to get him back in the lineup since he injured his calf on May 17.
It’s a disappointing outcome for Trout, who was putting together a remarkable season through the first six weeks before suffering a Grade 2 calf strain. However, with the Angels finding themselves out of playoff contention earlier than expected, it made Trout’s decision a lot easier.
And since he made that decision and pushed his chips towards 2022, he’s noticed a drastic shift in his mood and his recovery, according to J.P. Hoornstra of The O.C. Register:
“I felt great,” he said. “I don’t feel (the calf injury) at all. The doctors say it should be fully healed.”
“If I’d have gone out there and something else happened because I’d have been favoring (his right calf), that would’ve been really frustrating,” Trout said. “Once we made that decision as a group, it put my head where it needed to be. It relieved me a bit, because I was putting so much pressure on myself to go out there. Now I’m in a good place. I’m looking forward to a healthy off-season, looking forward to next year.”
It became clear that Trout would be done for the season sometime in August, when Joe Maddon and Trout had a sudden shift of tone. Midway through August, there was plenty of talk that he was just a week or two away. Then, all of a sudden, he wasn’t even participating in baseball activities.
Now, Trout can turn his full attention towards 2022, as he’s expected to be 100% healthy well before Opening Day. The same is being said of Anthony Rendon, Patrick Sandoval, Justin Upton, and a number of other Angels players lost for the year.
Perhaps by the time they all come back, they will be ready to go on a contending roster.
Perry Minasian shares Joe Maddon’s frustration
In the past week, both Joe Maddon and Perry Minasian have vented their frustrations about the way the 2021 season went for the Angels. Both made it abundantly clear that — going into 2022 — there would be no messing around when it comes to building a contending team.