Angels’ Mike Trout open to changing positions in order to stay healthy

ANAHEIM — Mike Trout has acknowledged that his days as the Angels’ primary center fielder might be over.

The Angels superstar has missed most of the season for the third time in the last four years. He spoke to reporters on Monday for the first time since his season-ending left knee surgery, and he said he’s open trying something else if that’s what the organization deems is the best way to keep him healthy.

“I think everything’s on the table,” Trout said before the Angels played the Chicago White Sox. “I think ultimately my goal is to be in that batter’s box, in the field every single day. Whether that’s moving to a corner, DH more, that’s just something I’ll leave up to the front office to come with a plan.

“I think, for where I’m at and what’s happened in the last few years, definitely try to explore every option that could keep you out there.”

Trout, 33, has not played since April 29. He suffered a torn meniscus, had surgery, and seemed to be on his way back to the lineup by late July. Trout had a setback, though, and required a second, season-ending meniscus surgery.

“I can’t look back and pinpoint exactly what I did or how I did it,” Trout said.

Trout said now he’s feeling “great.” He was cleared to hit last week, and this week he’s expecting to start running on an anti-gravity treadmill.

Trout said he is looking forward to having a “normal offseason.”

The setback was another chapter in what has become a disturbing series of major injuries for a player who has been on the Hall of Fame track since winning three American League MVP awards.

The calf injury that cost him most of 2021 and the broken hamate he suffered in 2023 were not expected to be as serious as they were. He also missed about five weeks with a back injury in 2022.

Now, Trout again faces questions about what he can do differently to avoid a similar fate in 2025.

“You’re going to always go sit down with your family and your team and try to figure out what ways we can try to prevent stuff, trying to find a formula,” Trout said. “I felt really confident in where I was and how I was training and how I was working out during the season. Coming into spring, I felt really good. So definitely going to be some conversations on on things that I can improve on and hopefully keep doing what I’m doing.”

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said in July, when he announced Trout’s setback, that he was confident that Trout would be an elite offensive player in 2025.

“He’s going to hit 70 homers and win the MVP,” Minasian said.

Minasian, however, stopped short of saying what his expectations were for Trout’s position.

Trout has started 1,332 times in center field. During his first two years in the major leagues, he started 90 games in one of the corner outfield spots. He has not started in left or right since 2012.

Trout has also started 80 games at DH, never more than 12 in a season.

He could certainly ease some of the wear on his body by moving to a corner, but moving to DH would obviously be the best way to preserve his body.

Asked about a move to left or right, Trout acknowledged that it was going to happen sometime before the end of his 12-year, $426 million deal in 2030.

“It’s reality,” he said. “I know I’ve got a certain number of years on my deal, and I know I knew eventually, even when I signed the deal, I was gonna have to move to a corner.  It is what it is. Is it next year? I don’t know. We’re going to have conversations with the staff and see where it goes.”

Trout also said that he is looking to improve his production, aside from simply staying on the field more.

Trout had a career OPS of 1.002 through 2022, but that dropped to .858 in 82 games in 2023 and .867 in 29 games this season.

While he was rehabbing this summer, he watched video of his earlier days to try to get back to that level.

“You always go back to when I had success, pinpointing what it was,” Trout said. “I think that’s the key part. Then trying to execute it. To look back at where I was during my big seasons, ’14 and ’16, when I won the MVPs. Trying to get back to that.

“I felt really good in the beginning of the year, and then obviously it slowed off a little bit. I know who I am. I don’t chase. When I first came up through my first 10 years or so, I didn’t really swing at a lot of balls. Something, I think, over the last few years is making me do that. Just trying to pinpoint that, to get that plate discipline back, to get back to my old self.”