Angels News: Jo Adell Called Up From AAA as Halos Deal with Fallout of Mike Trout Injury
Outfielder Jo Adell, who has spent most of the season playing Triple-A, has been called up to replace injured Angels star Mike Trout.
Disaster struck in the eighth inning of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres, as Trout fractured his left hamate, a small bone in the hand.
It appeared that the fracture came when Trout fouled off on a 0-1 count and immediately grabbed his left hand in pain.
Adell has been lighting it up in Triple-A, batting .271 with an OPS of .956, adding 23 home runs. In his first at-bat in Major League Baseball this season, when he stepped in for Hunter Renfroe, Adell hit the longest professional home run ever recorded by Statcast, a 514-foot bomb. Adell first made his MLB debut in 2020, playing 38 games for the Angels and posting less-than-satisfactory numbers as a rookie.
Trout is essentially irreplaceable, considering the 31-year-old is among the best baseball players to ever play the game. Unfortunately for the Angels, who are already dealing with a swarm of injuries, Trout is likely to be out for at least a month and could need surgery as hamate fractures typically require.
As the Angels are flirting with a spot in the AL Wild Card, Trouts' injury could dictate how the Halos act before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. A certain two-way player named Shohei could be traded if the Angels decide a postseason push is out of reach.
However, Jo Adell and the rest of the Angels have a chance to prove that they are capable of winning games and holding off on a losing streak before Trout's return. Adell himself has been a potential trade piece due to a stacked Angels outfield, and now the 24-year-old has an extended opportunity to show LA — and the rest of MLB — what he has to offer.
The Angels take on the Padres again Tuesday night, with a two-game series against the Dodgers later this week before they wrap up the first half of the season.
