Mike Trout just can’t catch a break. The Angels’ superstar center fielder pulled up lame running the bases Wednesday night in an 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks, and now his shot at playing in an All-Star Game just 50 miles from his hometown of Millville, New Jersey is officially in question.
Trout strained his hamstring during a routine sprint down the line. The team announced he’ll miss at least a couple of weeks. That timeline puts him right up against the July 14 Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park, and the 34-year-old isn’t making any promises.
“I really haven’t thought like that,” Trout told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. “Obviously, I want to play if I get voted in, but no timeline. If I put a timeline on things, I’ve done that in the past and it’s just frustration whether you do hit it or don’t hit it.”
That quote tells you everything. Trout has been down this road a half-dozen times in the last five seasons, and he’s learned the hard way that rushing back usually backfires. He played in just 396 games over the previous five campaigns — less than half the possible total. So when he finally stayed healthy for 74 of the Angels’ first 75 games this year, it felt like a genuine breakthrough.
Now this.
The three-time MVP was slashing .234/.394/.472 with 17 homers and 36 RBIs entering Thursday’s series opener against Oakland. His .394 on-base percentage and league-leading 54 runs scored suggest he was still getting on base at an elite clip, even if the batting average looks weirdly low for a guy of his stature. The power was there. The patience was there. Everything except the finishing kick.
Another All-Star headache for MLB
The league loves putting its biggest names on the national stage at the All-Star Game. Trout has been the face of the game for a decade, a two-time All-Star MVP who still draws crowds everywhere he goes. But this will be the third straight year he’s entered July with an injury cloud hanging over his head.
He last played in the All-Star Game in 2019. Yes, 2019. COVID canceled the 2020 event, and then injuries kept him out in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He did make the team in 2023 but couldn’t play. So the idea of Trout finally stepping into a batter’s box in Philadelphia, in front of a crowd full of people who grew up rooting for him in South Jersey, felt like a storybook moment.
Now it might not happen.
The Angels haven’t set a specific return date. Trout said he doesn’t want to guess. That’s fair. But with every day he misses, the math gets tighter. If he’s out three weeks instead of two, the decision gets made for him.
For now, the Angels will plug Jordyn Adams or Mickey Moniak into center field and hope the rest of their lineup can keep them afloat in a crowded AL West. Trout will rehab and wait. And baseball fans will watch the calendar and wonder if they’ll see him in Philadelphia or not.
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