Many Los Angeles Angels fans were probably worried when Mike Trout had to exit his Minor League game on Tuesday due to knee soreness. After all, a hurting knee that just underwent surgery less than three months ago is obviously not a good sign. Nevertheless, everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief. Trout's latest MRI scan came back clean, as he's currently dealing with nothing more than scar tissue buildup and inflammation.
“It’s a huge relief for me,” Trout said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
The outfielder also added that a return to baseball-related activities could happen “any day now.”
Back in late April, Trout was placed on the IL after suffering a torn meniscus. The 32-year-old was given two options: undergo surgery, or continue playing as the Angels' designated hitter. Trout opted to go with the former, as he was already in a lot of pain during the diagnosis.
Following the procedure, his road to recovery seemed to be going as planned…until this past Tuesday. Trout was playing in a rehab assignment game with Salt Lake when soreness started to engulf his knee. He eventually left the outing after seeing action in just two innings. There's no official timetable for his return yet, but the latest MRI arguably rules out any major delays for the nine-time Silver Slugger.
Before being diagnosed with the meniscus injury, Mike Trout's last MLB game occurred during the Angels' April 29 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished with a run and a stolen base in three at-bats. The three-time AL MVP has played a total of 29 games this year, slashing .220/.325/.541 to go with an OPS of .867. He's tallied totals of 24 hits, 14 runs batted in, 10 homers, and six stolen bases in 109 at-bats.
As for his team, the Angels presently hold a 45-58 record for fourth place in the AL West.