Angels' $426.5 Million Outfielder Named Key Player for Second Half

Jul 12, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) watches the flight of the ball on his two-run home run during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger listed All-Star outfielder Mike Trout as a key player for the Los Angeles Angels' second half of the 2025 season.

"Trout has been solid offensively this year but hasn’t played at a superstar level," said Bollinger. "He missed a month with a bone bruise in his left knee and has been relegated to designated hitter duty since returning in late May. He’s hopeful to return to right field at some point after the break, and if he can go on a second-half hot streak, he can carry the offense at times. He also has to prove he can stay healthy the rest of the way."

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Trout's left knee has been an issue over the last couple seasons, as he tore his meniscus in the same knee and needed season ending surgery in 2024.

He has struggled with injury since the turn of the decade, only staying available to play more than 100 games in a season once since 2020. He is on track to reach that mark this season, and has proven how important he is to this Angels team when he's healthy.

The former MVP has a .836 OPS this season, and has 17 home runs through 70 games. He leads the team in OPS and on-base percentage in 2025 as well. He has been especially hot this month, hitting four homers and driving home 10 runs in July while posting an OPS higher than 1.000.

The Angels are counting on the future Hall of Famer in the second half, as their playoff hopes are still intact. While they may be all but out of the race for the division, they are just four games back of the Seattle Mariners in the AL Wild Card, and will face their division rivals before the end of the month in what could be a season-defining series.

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Before they run into the Mariners though, they will face the Phillies away from home as they come back from the All-Star break on Friday. The opener of their three-game series against the Phillies begins at 3:45 p.m. PT.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.