ANAHEIM – Still without a timetable for a return to the field, Angels center fielder Mike Trout said his recovery from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee is on track and he is “anxious” to take the next step in his rehab program.
Trout last played April 29, disrupting a season when he was leading MLB with 10 home runs. He underwent a procedure May 3 to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to play at some point this season.
Asked if he was aiming for a particular return date, Trout cut off the question before it was complete.
“I try not to look at it,” Trout said. “Yeah, just, you know, take it one day at a time and whenever it feels right, I’ll be out there.”
For now, Trout’s rehab work is concentrated on strengthening exercises for in and around the knee. Treadmill work is in the near future, with the three-time MVP having already progressed to low-impact work on the elliptical and stationary bike.
“You know every day it’s getting better,” Trout said. “… It’s crazy how much you lose when you’re not really walking on it. So just trying to get strength back.”
Only one American League team had a worse record than the Angels’ 20-31 mark heading into Saturday’s play. Offensively, though, the club has shown promise with 62 home runs, one of the top 10 teams in baseball in that category. But their .307 on-base percentage was lagging toward the bottom third of all teams.
Trout would provide an instant upgrade, but when is the question.
“What team wouldn’t be eager to have a Mike Trout back?” manager Ron Washington said. “But we want him back healthy. We don’t want him back trying to play through anything. So we just have to hold it down until he gets back. That’s it.”
On the mental side, Trout is just working on trusting that the knee can handle the workload prescribed.
“Just trusting to be able to just do everything normal again without feeling the pain, so that’s a big thing,” Trout said. “I think the biggest thing is just guarding it. Doing stuff in the weight room, activities and stuff they want me to do and not trying to baby it. Trying to see where see where I’m at.
“Obviously, I don’t want to go too crazy and push it to a limit it shouldn’t be. I think I’m getting to the point where I can just trust it and go from there.”
THE SHORT OF IT
After missing Friday’s series opener against the Guardians with right elbow soreness, shortstop Zach Neto was back in the lineup Saturday.
Neto left Wednesday’s game at Houston with elbow discomfort but an MRI on Thursday was clean.
“He’s the straw that holds us together,” Washington said. “His energy and his defense, his leadership out there is very, very important. And when he’s not out on the field, you can see a difference out there. So that’s what he brings. I’m not concerned about his offense. I like his glovework.”
Neto has six home runs and 18 RBIs in 49 games after hitting nine home runs with 34 RBIs in 84 games as a rookie last season. His on-base percentage is slightly down at .302 after a .308 mark in 2023.
ALSO
The Angels reinstated right-hander Guillo Zuniga from the injured list after he recovered from a lat strain and optioned him to Triple-A Salt Lake. Zuniga had a 7.20 ERA in four relief appearances with the Angels. … Right-hander Sam Bachham, who is on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury, was sent on a rehab assignment to the club’s spring-training complex at Tempe, Ariz. Bachman, a first-round draft pick in 2021, has not pitched for the Angels this season after he delivered a 3.18 ERA in his first 11 major league appearances last season.
UP NEXT
Guardians (RHP Ben Lively, 3-2, 2.84 ERA) vs. Angels (LHP Reid Detmers, 3-4, 5.80 ERA), Sunday, 1:07 p.m., Bally Sports West, AM 830