LA Angels News: Mike Trout exits after hit by pitch vs. Astros

As if the start of a four-game series against the Astros (7-10) couldn’t get any worse, the Angels (9-7) held their breath after Mike Trout was hit in the elbow by a 93 MPH fastball from Houston starter Cristian Javier.

There’s nothing funny about getting drilled in the funny bone with one of those heaters. Hopefully that’s all it was, and the 6-0 Halos deficit was the precautionary reason Trout was pulled. He stayed in the game through that top of the fourth, but manager Joe Maddon made the decision to yank Trout when the Halos went down 7-0 in the following inning.

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It’ll be something to keep an eye on, and the Angels can’t afford to lose another player to injury. They’ve already lost Dexter Fowler to a season ending ACL tear, while Anthony Rendon, Max Stassi, Juan Lagares, and Felix Pena are all on the 10-Day IL.

The Angels cannot afford to lose Mike Trout for an extended period of time.

The Halos are in the midst of 23 games in their next 24 days with their next scheduled off day coming on April 29.

Trout’s been the heartbeat of the Halos’ lineup, entering Thursday with a slash line of .393/.507/.804 with six home runs and 12 RBI in 56 plate appearances. The Angels offense ranks in MLB’s top-10 in multiple offensive categories while Trout himself has the AL’s highest batting average (.393). He’s also tied for MLB’s fifth-most walks (14), second-highest OPS (1.325), and the second-most home runs (6).

He also ranks amongst the elite in Statcast categories and advanced metrics.

*UPDATE*

The OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher reports the team is calling the Trout injury a contusion with no word on if or how much time he could miss.

Here’s a look at the current taxi squad options. No players can be added to the reserve groups while a team is in the middle of a road trip.

The Angels just started a 10-game stretch away from Anaheim beginning in Houston on Thursday.

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It’s already been a bit of a struggle for the shorthanded Halos up to this point, hopefully Trout is back on the field soon.