LA Angels dealt crushing blow with Mike Trout knee surgery shocker

For all of the faults that the Los Angeles Angels have as an organization and a roster, one truth has remained, and that is that they always have a chance with Mike Trout in their lineup. Trout has been arguably the best player in all of baseball for well over a decade when he has been on the field which, until the last few years, was most of the time.

However, Trout's recent injury history has been troubling, as he has only played in 237 games over the previous three seasons. That is only marginally more than what Anthony Rendon has averaged (that is obviously bad). Particularly alarming is that his ailments have been so varied that it feels like his entire body has started to fail him as he's entered his 30s. Trout's downturn has had some wondering if the Angels need to find a way to move on from him, given how much he is owed through 2030.

Sadly, the bad news did not stop this season, as while Trout was off to a tremendous start (at least in the power department) in his attempt to return to playing full-throttle, he is hurt once again. On Tuesday, it was reported by multiple sources that Trout has a torn meniscus in his left knee and needs surgery.

LA Angels News: Mike Trout to have surgery on knee for a torn meniscus

Before Angels fans start looking for walls to bang their heads against, we'll start with the silver lining here. While a torn meniscus is not good news, it is also the knee surgery you want if forced to choose one, as the timeline for returning is generally pretty short compared to other knee surgeries. We don't know the exact severity of Trout's injury, but all of the reports are that he is expected to return this season, and that is a plus.

The bad news is that an Angels team that was hanging on for dear life that just lost a generational talent last offseason when Shohei Ohtani walked in free agency and has a pitching staff that is being held together by Elmer's glue and hope just lost their best player for a while. If the Angels are going to have any chance at a winning season now, they are going to need a LOT of guys to step up in a big way.

There isn't a replacement for Trout in the Angels' organization -- or, at least, not a good one. To be fair, that is an impossible standard to reach. For the particularly optimistic Angels fans out there, the options are not likely to include top prospect Nelson Rada, as he is hitting .224 in Double-A so far this season. LA just DFAed Aaron Hicks, too, so their outfield depth also isn't a great place with Trout out.

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