Angels News: Only Mike Trout activates Mike Trout

After missing the last four games while on paternity leave, Mike Trout is expected to rejoin the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

Say what you want about Mike Trout and his social media presence. Despite being normally quiet on the various platforms, he still knows how to pique your interest when he posts.

Take Monday for instance. While it had been a foregone conclusion that he would be rejoining the team on Tuesday in Seattle, the Angels had yet to make the formal roster move to activate him from the paternity list. Luckily for Billy Eppler’s PR team, they didn’t need to.

Taking to Twitter, Trout released a one-word statement to announce his return to the team.

Trout, who last played on July 29th, has missed the last four games of the season to be with his wife while they welcomed their first child into the world. Beckham Aaron Trout was born on July 30th, as announced by the couple. And yes, the game’s best player names his son with an acronym for “B.A.T.”

While Mike Trout has missed just four games for the Angels, he will return to a much different landscape in Anaheim. Wins have still been tough to come by for the Halos, but the injury to Shohei Ohtani and the arrival of Jo Adell will present a much different dynamic with the Angels roster.

In six games in 2020, the center fielder has hit a decent .292/.357/.458 with one home run and four RBI. While it looks solid on paper, those numbers are still far from the normal we’ve seen from Trout over the years. In particular, his wRC+ (123) and ISO (.167) numbers are well below his career marks, while his strikeout rate (28.6%) is at a career-high. However, with Anthony Rendon now planted behind him in the lineup, and the addition of Adell and a full-time hitting Ohtani, those numbers should begin to rise.

The Angels start a six-game road trip in Seattle on Tuesday. They will move on to Arlington to face the Texas Rangers on Friday.