LA Angels: Mike Trout injury history and updates

Mike Trout is going to be out for about five to seven more weeks with his right calf strain.

The LA Angels placed him on the Injured List on May 18th. Trout isn’t the iron man he used to be. From 2012 to 2016, Trout never found himself on the IL.

He’s still by no means an injury-prone player, but he has faced some injuries since 2017 that foreshadow that he’s not as durable as he once was.

Mike Trout injury updates

Added October 5th: Mike Trout is expected to be back by spring training

Added June 28th: Mike Trout has been transferred to the 60-day IL. He hit in the cages at Angel Stadium today, however.

Added June 8: Mike Trout told the Associated Press his right calf is healing but he didn’t have any changes to the original 5-6 week timeline that would keep him out of the Angels’ lineup through at least the All-Star Break. Trout said he’s “happy” with the progress and will know more once he begins running again, which could happen soon.

Added June 1: Mike Trout is now out of his walking boot, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

May 18: Mike Trout was placed on the IL with a Grade 2 right calf strain. He could miss 6-8 weeks, per the Angels.

Mike Trout injury history

Trout’s proven to be capable of winning MVP Awards without staying healthy all year, so there’s no need to remove him from ‘best player in the world’ conversation. It is worth remembering, however, his past injuries and how he’s been able to bounce back from them.

Torn thumb ligament, 2017

Trout missed 39 games with this injury in 2017. He still, however, was voted into the All-Star game and finished top four in AL MVP voting that year. Despite missing almost a quarter of the season with this injury, he still clubbed 33 home runs.

Wrist inflammation, 2018

Trout didn’t miss anywhere near as much of the year due to this injury than he did due to his injury in 2017, but he did miss 19 games due to wrist inflammation in 2018. He may have missed time, but he also found time to walk 122 times and smoke 39 home runs. He played enough to be the AL MVP’s runner-up in the 2018 season.

Morton’s neuroma, 2019

Trout dealt with Morton’s neuroma for about a month in 2019, and then had to have foot surgery as a result. That cut his season short by 19 games. Trout still played enough to win the AL MVP award, and enough to drive in 104 runs with a career-high 45 homers. It just goes to show how incredible of a player Trout is; to be missing chunks of seasons and still be putting up elite numbers year after year.

Calf strain, 2021

Then there’s obviously this year. Again, he’ll be out for approximately five to seven more weeks, being out since May 18th. If there’s anything to learn from Trout’s previous injuries, he’ll bounce back and produce as soon as he hits the centerfield grass again.

He’s finished no worse than fourth in MVP voting in those years, and it wouldn’t be wise to bet on him not being there again this year.