Did Mike Trout's decision to have surgery hurt the Angels' 2024 chances?

As has become all too common over the past few seasons, Mike Trout currently finds himself on the injured list. The three-time AL MVP recently underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to miss at least six weeks of action.

But there was an opportunity for Trout to remain on the active roster as the team's designated hitter rather than landing on the IL. Trout told a pool of Angels' beat reporters that the option to put off the surgery until the offseason existed. It did, however, come with risks. Trout said he was in a lot of pain, and while he could have played through it, the possibility for further injury existed.

Did Trout make the right call, or did his decision to opt for surgery sink any possibility the Angels may have had to compete this season? The answer seems rather obvious, doesn't it?

Did Mike Trout's decision to have surgery hurt the Angels' 2024 chances?

If the movie "Angels in the Outfield" has taught us anything, it's that, "Hey, it could happen." But any objective onlooker knows that it's not happening with this year's ball club. Try as they might, most Angels fans have come to realization that this season is going to be a painful one. And having a hobbled Trout wasn't really going to bolster their team's chances this season. On top of that, it would've jeopardized his long-term health in his latter years.

New Angels manager Ron Washington is trying to alter the culture in the clubhouse. The Halos' skipper has changed the emphasis on this year's team and is holding players accountable. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and it's going to take some time for Washington to turn around a franchise that has been treading water for about a decade.

Having Trout act as the Angels' DH while in pain is not the type of scenario you want to sign up for. Though the team certainly misses having the All-Star in the lineup, it also offers a larger role for young players like Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell to prove themselves.

Trout made the right decision to sit this one out, and hopefully he's back before the All-Star break. Los Angeles has invested a lot in Trout over the years, and most fans saw firsthand how distraught the Angels' superstar was after learning he'd need to undergo surgery.

While players like Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani have shown a willingness of late to take on the DH role while nursing an injury, there's a big difference between not being able to throw due to a UCL injury, and not running at full speed with a knee ailment.

Angels fans are just hoping for a speedy recovery that will see Trout return to the diamond in short order.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout