July 5 update – Trout had wrist surgery, and is expected to miss 1-2 months recovering from the issue. That’s bad news for the Angels, who have a secondary problem about Shohei Ohtani being a free agent at the end of this season. Ohtani’s trade value is high and the Angels might be better off dealing him if they slip out of contention, but they could also have the best chance at retaining him if this group can maintain its course. The trade deadline is still a while away and there should be more clarity on Trout’s injury closer to the time Los Angeles will actually have to make a decision.
Update – Bad news for the Angels. Mike Trout was placed on the 10-day IL with a fracture of the hamate bone in his left hand, according to ESPN. He’s out indefinitely.
Things have just about hit rock bottom for the Los Angeles Angels. Not only did the team get routed in a 10-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday night — their fifth loss in six games, dropping them six back in the AL West and three back of the final AL Wild Card spot — but to add injury to insult, they may be without Mike Trout for a while.
The now 11-time All-Star was forced to leave Monday’s game after appearing to injure his hand on a swing in the top of the eighth inning. Trout fouled off a pitch from reliever Nick Martinez and then began shaking his left hand in immediate pain:
Mike Trout exits the game after an apparent injury during his 8th inning at bat. pic.twitter.com/s0xSfpVQ3j
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 4, 2023
It was a pretty concerning sight, and Trout didn’t do much to dispel that concern when meeting with the media after the game. The center fielder told reporters that he’d already undergone X-rays, and while he’s hoping it’s just a sprain rather than something structural like a fracture, there’s no way to know until results come back:
Mike Trout said his left wrist is still in a lot of pain. He’s waiting on the results of the X-ray. Said he’s hoping it’s just a sprain but acknowledged he’s concerned right now.
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) July 4, 2023
There’s not yet any sort of timetable for Trout’s return; he’s considered day-to-day for now, but it seems pretty likely that he’s going to require a trip to the injured list — especially with the All-Star break right around the corner. The injury comes just a day after the three-time MVP was chosen to his 11th career All-Star Game. It’s unclear at this point whether his availability for next Tuesday’s exhibition will be impacted by this issue, but things obviously don’t look great right now.
More concerning for the Angels, however, is what this means for their postseason push. Trout, 31, entered Monday hitting .260/.365/.493 with 18 home runs, 43 RBI and two stolen bases in his first 80 games — a bit below the otherworldly standard he’s set for himself, but still extremely valuable. Former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak pinch-hit for Trout on Monday and is likely to see plenty of time in center for L.A. if Trout’s forced to miss extended time. Moniak has been a pleasant surprise for the Angels after coming over in the Noah Syndergaard trade last year, posting a .994 OPS with nine homers and two steals across 34 games this season. Former top prospect Jo Adell is another candidate for playing time in the outfield, though he’s yet to prove he can hit Major League pitching despite tearing up the Minors.
To state the obvious, neither Moniak nor Adell nor anyone else in the Angels organization is an adequate replacement for Trout, and the injury comes at the worst possible time. Los Angeles continues to slip further and further out of the playoff picture, and with the trade deadline looming in a few weeks — and Shohei Ohtani set to hit free agency at the end of the season — the team will have some very tough decisions to make if they continue to through July.
