Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout officially out past All-Star break
The Los Angeles Angels are one of the more bizarre teams in baseball. They happen to have two generational talents in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, but continue to struggle in actually winning enough games to qualify for the postseason.
The Angels are now without Trout as he continues to recover from a calf strain. Now comes the latest update saying he has been moved to the 60-day IL and is not eligible to return until July 17. That would mark a return exactly two months after he suffered the injury.
Angels trying to hang around without Mike Trout
Los Angeles enters play Tuesday with a 38-40 record, putting them fourth in the American League West division. This also puts the team eight games out of a Wild Card spot as the season approaches the halfway mark.
Can the Angels still make the playoffs? That is entirely possible if they can hang around the .500 mark without Trout. However, his presence in the past has not been enough to get the team over the hump, even when his WAR figures are historical.
The problem for the Angels remains the pitching staff. A lineup featuring Trout, Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon can only do so much if the pitchers have a combined ERA close to 5.00. Spending big but not doing so on elite pitching talent is what is dooming the Angels in 2021.
Next. Shohei Ohtani arrives at Yankee Stadium. dark
Giving Trout all the time he needs to recover makes perfect sense. Rushing him back only increases the risk of another injury and it is still too early in the season to panic about the standings. The team will also still have an eye on competing in the future as Trout turns 30 years old this August.