Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout said Saturday he hopes to play again this season but is unsure when he would begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
Trout, 30, has been out since May 17 with a right calf injury. He did not expect to be out this long when he was first injured.
“One of the hardest things I’ve been through in my career,” Trout said of recovering from the injury. “It’s frustrating, and obviously I want to be back soon, but I gotta be smart. I can’t go out there and compensate and something else happens. I gotta make sure this thing is fully right before I go back out there.”
Trout said he cannot run back-to-back days without feeling sore. He did on-field drills in Detroit on Tuesday and in Cleveland on Friday.
Even with the recovery troubles, Trout plans on returning in center field instead of in left or right.
Before the injury, Trout was on track for another MVP-caliber season. In 36 games, he is hitting .333 with a .466 on-base percentage, eight home runs, 18 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
The Angels are 62-62 heading into Saturday’s game against Cleveland. They are 11 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West and 8 1/2 games back of the Oakland A’s for the second wild-card spot.
“It’s a way longer process than I thought it would be — I’m going crazy,” Trout said. “There’s only so much you can do to get it better, and I’m looking for every single way to get out there and whatever I need to do to get this thing back right.”
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–Field Level Media