Los Angeles Angels superstar center fielder Mike Trout has been ruled as out for the remainder of the 2024 season, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Thursday. Trout suffered another torn meniscus in his surgically repaired left knee. A torn left meniscus initially sent him to the injured list on April 30.
"Since my initial surgery on May 3rd to repair my meniscus, my rehabilitation proved longer and more difficult than anticipated.
After months of hard work, I was devastated yesterday when an MRI showed a tear in my meniscus that will require surgery again -- ending my hopes of returning this season," Trout said in a statement Thursday. "Playing and competing is a huge part of my life. This is equally as 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. I will continue to help my team and teammates from the dugout as we press forward into the second half of the season. Thank you for your support."
Trout started a minor-league rehab assignment last Tuesday with the Salt Lake Bees, the Angels' Triple-A affiliate, but he exited the game after one at-bat with soreness in his knee. He was scheduled to play five innings. Trout returned home and had another MRI, which the Angels said came back clean. It's unclear when the meniscus tear occurred.
Prior to this injury, Trout played 29 games and slashed .220/.325/.541 with 10 home runs. A variety of injuries have limited Trout to only 266 of 648 possible games from 2021-24, or 41%. That includes only 41 total games after the All-Star break in those four seasons combined. Here is Trout's full injury history and here are his injuries since 2021:
| Date | Injury | Days missed |
|---|---|---|
Aug. 6, 2018 | Wrist inflammation | 18 |
May 18, 2021 | Calf strain | 139 |
July 15, 2022 | Back | 35 |
July 4, 2023 | Fractured hamate | 89 |
April 30, 2024 | Meniscus tear/retear | 153 |
If there is any good news here, it's that Trout has a long runway to get healthy between now and next spring training. According to the Baseball Prospectus Recovery Database, players who tore their meniscus from 2022-23 missed 67 days, on average. Even with a slower, more cautious rehab, Trout should be ready well in advance of spring training.
These injuries have not hurt Trout's Hall of Fame chances -- he is a slam dunk, no doubt about it, first-ballot Hall of Famer -- but they have robbed us of seeing just how high he would soar. Through 2020, his age-28 season, Trout hit 302 home runs and racked up 74.3 WAR. In the four years since, he's hit 76 homers and been worth 11.8 WAR.
Reaching 500 home runs and 100 WAR -- only 32 players have ever reached 100 WAR -- is not impossible at this point, just very unlikely. Trout has lost much of his remaining peak years to injury and players usually don't get healthier as they get further into their 30s. Trout does not have one chronic injury that pops up every season. It's something new each year.
Trout, 33 next week, is a career .299/.410/.581 hitter in parts of 14 big league seasons. He's a three-time MVP (2014, 2016, 2019), a four-time MVP runner-up (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018), and an 11-time All-Star. Even with the injuries, Trout is on the short list of the best players of his generation, if not the best.
This is Year 6 of the 12-year, $426.5 million extension Trout signed in March 2019. The Angels owe him $35.45 million per year from 2025-30.