Angels News: Mike Trout Expects to Play Through Pain for the Rest of the Season

Even with the pain, he should still help the team out!

The Angels officially activated star outfielder Mike Trout from the injured list on Tuesday prior to their opening game of a series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Trout has been out for about a month and a half tending to a fractured left hamate that he suffered in early July. This is great news for the Halos, as they are still trying to get themselves back into contention for a playoff push.

However, even with him back, Trout is expecting to play through pain the rest of the way. He wants to push through and give the team the best possible chance to succeed.

Trout says he expects to still feel some pain for the rest of the season but it’s bearable. He’s planning to play just about every day the rest of the way.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 22, 2023

Getting Trout back should serve this lineup well, as he is still one of the more feared batters across baseball. Having him available just allows for more flexibility for the Angels, which is always a good thing.

On the season entering Tuesday's return, Trout is hitting .263 with 18 home runs and 44 runs batted in. Prior to his injury, it was seen as a down year for the All-Star outfielder, but most players would gladly take his stats on their resume.

His impact should be felt right away, as he gives this team confidence every night out. Alongside Shohei Ohtani, Trout creates one of the best one-two punches in the game today.

For the Angels to break their long postseason drought, they are going to need to put together a great few weeks of baseball. They will also need help from the multiple teams ahead of them in the standings. 

But with a little over a month left in the season, getting Trout back at least gives this team a fighting chance to reach the playoffs. He should account for a few more wins than they would have gotten without him. Their odds may not be looking great at the moment, but anything is possible, and that is the beauty of it all.