Jo Adell just proved Angels' biggest fear is still very real

When the Los Angeles Angels made the decision to send Mike Trout back to center field in 2026, there were certainly some concerns. Durability has been a question mark of late, for the three-time MVP and after spending most of last season as the team's DH, there were those among the fanbase who were fearful that Trout's return to the field could jeopardize his longevity.

But Jo Adell quickly reminded fans why Trout in center field is easily the Angels' best option this season. During Sunday's series finale against the Houston Astros, Adell — who was filling in for Trout — made a diving attempt to catch a line drive off the bat of Isaac Paredes and cost his team one, if not two runs.

Paredes laced a 3-2 pitch up the middle, and it was obvious to everyone watching that Adell had no chance to make the play. He inexplicably dove and missed the ball by several feet. Had he played it on a hop, there's a chance he could've nailed the runner at the plate. At the very least, it would've held the Astros to just one run scored. Instead, Houston put two runs on the board, and one batter later, Jose Altuve extended the Astros' lead to three.

Jo Adell's miscue reminds Angels fans why Mike Trout is back in center field

Trout started the first three games of the Angels' series against the Astros in center field, but with the early start on Sunday, Kurt Suzuki made the decision to move Adell to the middle of the outfield. Trout was in the lineup, but slotted as the team's DH.

Adell was installed as the Halos' everyday centerfielder in 2025, and the results were disasterous by almost every metric known to man. For the old-school fans of the sport, Adell committed five errorrs and registered a .976 fielding percentage. He was also posted -13 defensive runs saved (DRS) and was worth -8 outs above average (OAA).

Adell's arm strength was never that great to begin with, and his speed has regressed over the past couple of seasons. In 2024, he was among the 86th percentile in sprint speed, but last year, he drifted back to the middle of the pack.

Going forward, if Trout needs a day off his feet in the outfield — which is understandable — then Suzuki needs to turn to Bryce Teodosio. Obviously his bat leaves a lot to be desired, especially among right-handed pitching, but LA can ill-afford defensive miscues like the one they saw from Adell on Sunday afternoon.