Angels' Mike Trout Scheduled To Make Triple-A Rehab Appearance This Week

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 21, 2024

Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

He might not be the savior for the Los Angeles Angels season but the return of Mike Trout is happening. The superstar center fielder will begin his rehab with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, the club confirmed on Saturday,

Trout has not played since April 29 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Before he went down with the injury, Trout was batting .220 with 10 home runs in 29 games.

According to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, Trout will first face live pitching this weekend at the Angels' Spring Training complex in Arizona and then report to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Minor League teams don't play Monday, so the rehab assignment would officially start Tuesday. Triple-A Salt Lake is at home vs El Paso on Tuesday.

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 20, 2024

Bollinger also added that the 33-year-old outfielder could rejoin the Angels on Thursday, meaning he would potentially make two rehab starts in Salt Lake before he's back with the Halos. This trip to Salt Lake marks Trout's first time back at Smith's Ballpark in over a decade.

Trout had a cup of coffee with the Bees back in 2012 when he appeared in 20 games and hit .403. He tallied 13 RBIs, 10 extra-base hits, and one home run in 77 at-bats before he was promptly called up to make his big league debut with the Angels.

Since then, he has won three MVPs and nine Silver Slugger awards. However, he has been plagued by injuries lately. Between a right calf strain, back issues, a left hamate fracture, and now this knee surgery, Trout has played in only 266 games since the start of the 2021 season.

If Bollinger's report proves correct with Trout returning to face Oakland on Thursday, it will be three months exactly since Trout's last game.