Angels’ Mike Trout Out for Season Due to Another Meniscus Tear
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout will miss the rest of the season after suffering another meniscus tear in his surgically repaired left knee. This marks yet another setback for the star player, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years.
Trout announced the news in a social media post on Thursday, revealing that an MRI conducted the previous day detected a tear in his meniscus, necessitating another surgery and ending his hopes of returning this season.
“Playing and competing is a huge part of my life,” Trout said. “This is equally heartbreaking and frustrating for me as it is for you, the fans. I understand that I may have disappointed many, but believe me, I will do everything I can to come back even stronger.”
Turning 33 soon, Trout first tore his meniscus on April 29 and underwent surgery four days later. Initially, he hoped to return within four to six weeks, which doctors identified as a best-case scenario. However, it took over 11 weeks for Trout to begin a rehab assignment.
When Trout finally returned on July 23, he exited after one plate appearance and two innings in center field due to discomfort in his left knee. The discomfort persisted, leading him to leave his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees and return to Southern California for reevaluation. Last Friday, Trout told reporters that an MRI came back clean and that he was dealing with soft-tissue buildup and inflammation, adding that he could begin baseball activities “any day now.”
“It’s a huge relief for me,” Trout said at the time.
Despite this, the discomfort continued, prompting another MRI on Wednesday that revealed a new tear in a different part of his knee. The Angels expect Trout to be fully ready for the start of spring training next year. By then, he will have six years and $212.7 million remaining on his contract.
“I believe it’s going to turn,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “He’s going to play. My call is he hits 70 homers and wins the MVP. I believe it. Looking at the look on his face, he might have the best year he’s ever had next year.”
Trout has been a dominant player, finishing within the top two in American League MVP voting seven times in his first eight full seasons and earning accolades such as three MVPs, eight Silver Slugger Awards, and eight All-Star selections. His 73 FanGraphs wins above replacement from 2012 to 2020 far exceeded the next closest player, Max Scherzer, who had 50.4 fWAR.
However, Trout has struggled with injuries since then, playing in only about 41% of the Angels’ games from 2021 to 2024. A calf injury sidelined him from mid-May until the end of the season in 2021, a back issue put him on the injured list for over a month in 2022, and a hand injury in 2023 saw him miss time from July 3 to August 22, and again from August 23 through the season’s end. Now, this latest knee injury will keep him out for the season’s final five months.
“I will continue to help my team and teammates from the dugout as we press forward into the second half of the season,” Trout wrote in his statement. “Thank you for your support.”