Appearing in his first game since undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout was forced to leave his rehab outing after two innings with left knee soreness.
Trout started the game batting second and playing centre field. He made a pair of plays defensively and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout before being removed from the lineup.
It was Trout's first game with the Angels' triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees, since 2012.
Trout suffered the meniscus injury during a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on April 29. The outfielder wasn't sure exactly when the tear occurred but felt the pain increase throughout the game.
An 11-time All-Star, Trout has struggled through various injuries through the past four seasons, only playing in more than 100 games once since 2019.
The 32-year-old was off to another great start in 2024, slugging 10 home runs in 29 games while posting an .867 OPS for the Angels.
He missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained calf, and he missed several weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury. Trout then broke a bone in his hand last season, missing all but one game after July 3.
Originally scheduled to start the game as the designated hitter and play five innings, it is unclear what prompted the move to centre.
The Angels had floated the possibility that Trout could be back in the major-league lineup this week, but with Tuesday's injury it seems likely that timeline will need to be pushed back.
— With files from The Associated Press
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.