The Los Angeles Angels are finishing up another season with Mike Trout on the sideline. The aging superstar wasn’t going to have a chance at competing for the playoffs but he does miss out on a huge chunk of another season.
Trout had successful surgery on his left knee to address a torn meniscus, aiming to be back by next year's Spring Training. The Angels have been one of the worst teams in MLB this season while the 33-year-old tries to get back to full form again. In the meantime, he's still a team player.
In an appearance on ESPN's Baseball Tonight, Angels manager Ron Washington said (at the 52:30 mark) that Trout has been a regular presence around the team despite his injury.
“Mike has been here every single day, even when he was injured, sitting in our meetings and being a part of our meetings, he comes down to the bench about 5 or 6 innings every night,” Washington said. “He goes in the cage, because guys run back and forth to the cage getting warmed up, sitting there with him, doing that also. He’s been a presence. It's not so much the performance right now that Mike can have an impact on these kids, but it’s just his presence in the clubhouse — and he has tremendous presence.”
Mike Trout staying around Angels despite season-ending injury
The Angels are 52-68, trying to get through a rough season. They have a bunch of young players on the roster or making their way up, especially as their other veterans bow out due to injury or are put on waivers. Washington knows the value that an older player like Trout can help. As the young players try to develop and handle the pressure of being on a losing team, Trout can be there to help them prepare and remain the foundation of the lineup.
The best chance Trout will have to be on a winning team is somewhere other than the Angels. But neither side seems to be pushing hard for a trade. The best chance Trout has to contribute to a winning team with the Halos is to help his young teammates so they can eventually become a good team in the future.
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