Mike Trout to Undergo Knee Surgery, Derailing Hot Start

Trout's knee injury is not expected to be season-ending.

Apr 23, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) rounds the / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Trout needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and will be out indefinitely. Though the injury isn't expected to be season-ending, his absence will derail what had been a hot start for the 32-year-old Los Angeles Angels star.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan first reported Trout's impending surgery, which was later confirmed by Angels general manager Perry Minasian, per The Athletic's Sam Blum. It's a huge blow to the Angels as they attempt to build something in their post-Shohei Ohtani era.

Trout was attempting to bounce back from several injury-plagued seasons in 2024 and had gotten off to a blistering start in the power department. Last week, he became the first MLB player to reach 10 home runs in the 2024 season. His batting average (.220) and on-base percentage (.325) were lower than expected, but his batting average on balls in play is an abnormally low .194, which suggests some bad luck. Trout was slugging .541 and had already racked up 1.2 WAR.

The Angels have been terrible to open the season, and Trout's injury isn't going to help. They enter Tuesday 11–18 and already are five games back of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the American League West. As a team, the Angels currently rank 28th in ERA (5.01) and 18th in OPS (.691). A lack of pitching and a middling offense is not the way to find success.

Trout's injury is a blow to his team and to Major League Baseball as a whole. The league is better when the three-time AL MVP is playing.