It's been a tough year so far for the Los Angeles Angels, who have been without superstar Mike Trout since he suffered a torn meniscus just 29 games into the season.
Trout is feeling optimistic about his recovery, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“I feel great, I feel fine and I’m progressing the way I should be,” said the Angels star. “It's good to get out there and start moving around instead of being in the weight room and the cage. It’s all about the progression of running. I feel good hitting. I took 30 swings out there with no pain at all.”
Trout, 32, was hitting .220/.325/.541 with 10 homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases before injuring his left knee. He was showing plenty of power and aggressive baserunning, but his average was down significantly from his .299 career average.
“He's starting to feel like he might be able to get out here and get started. And once we see him on the field doing some things, then we know it's not too far,” Angels manager Ron Washington said about Trout’s recovery.
Trout is no stranger to injuries that sideline him for big chunks of time, as he has played 100 games just once in the last four seasons.
Will Angels be sellers at the deadline?
With a 37-52 record, it would make sense for the Angels to sell at the deadline. While they have a handful of players who are drawing interest on the trade market, one player in particular has quickly become a hot commodity.
Closer Carlos Estevez, who has quietly turned himself into one of the best back of the bullpen arms who could be available at the deadline. Estevez has carried over the momentum from his 2023 All-Star campaign, and that could result in him drawing a big trade package for LA should they end up deciding to move on from him.
The Angels are reportedly getting bombarded with interest for Estevez, who may be the best reliever available on the market with Oakland A’s strikeout machine Mason Miller likely unavailable. He was the AL reliever of the month in June, yielding just two hits without a walk in 10 shutout appearances. He retired 26 consecutive batters during one stretch and is 16 for 19 in save opportunities. He’s a free agent after the season with only about $2.2 million remaining on his contract at the trade deadline.
The Angels also are reportedly expected to deal reliever Luis Garcia. But unless they receive very significant offers, Los Angeles likely will hang onto starters Tyler Anderson (who gave up 3 hits in 8 shutout innings Saturday against the Cubs) and Griffin Canning, and outfielder Taylor Ward, who still are under team control through at least 2025.
The Angels take on the Texas Rangers on Monday night.
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