Angels' Mike Trout to DH At Least Once A Week, Manager Says

They could not do this with Shohei Ohtani around.

A significant portion of the Angels' struggles in the past few years can be directly associated with the health of the team's stars. Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon are not consistently playing, appearing in 237 and 148 games respectively over the last three seasons.

A benefit of losing Shohei Ohtani in free agency, and there are not many, is the flexibility the Angels gain at the designated hitter position. Ohtani solely occupied that role since debuting in 2018, but now it's up for grabs. 

Angels manager Ron Washington spoke with the media, including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, and plans on using the DH spot to try and keep Rendon and Trout healthy this season,

We’re going to get Mike off his feet at least once a week and Rendon off his feet at least once a week. I think it’s going to be very substantial for [Trout’s] workload, especially with him roaming center field. He knows that he can do it. So I'm gonna allow him to do it and give him the breaks when he thinks he needs the breaks. But I’m not going to make it two or three times a week. We don’t want it to get in his head.

Ron Washington to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com

This could help the team significantly in 2024. Before, if the Halos wanted to give either player a day off, it meant losing their bat in the lineup. Now, they can give them a breather in the field, but still keep their production at the plate.

With such a young team this year, the club will heavily lean on its veterans to help guide the young players. This places an even heavier emphasis on Trout and Rendon's health.