Mike Trout injury update: Center fielder not expected to return in 2021, Joe Maddon says

Angels center fielder Mike Trout hasn’t played for his team since May 17, when he suffered a calf strain during a game. He may not return for the remainder of the 2021 season.

On Wednesday, Angels general manager Joe Maddon said he doesn’t expect Trout to return in 2021, via The Athletic. This decision isn’t official until Trout speaks out on the matter, but for now, it looks like the Angel superstar won’t be playing until 2022.

This decision was somewhat anticipated since there’s only two-plus left of regular season baseball. The Angels are also 11 games back in the AL Wild Card race, and 14 games back in the division.

However, Trout is currently in Chicago with the Angels as they play the White Sox. CBS reported on Aug. 31 that Trout had been participating in baseball activities for up to six weeks prior. It is rare for a player to be out as long as Trout has with a calf strain, but it seems he has tried to work out and build up his strength in the meantime.

Up until May 17, Trout was hitting .333/.466/.624 and had eight home runs in only 36 games. It’s uncertain where the Angels could be on the Wild Card list if Trout would have played all season, especially considering Shohei Ohtani’s historical season thus far.

Trout, 30, is expected to return to baseball next season at the very least. It will be his fourth year in his 12-year, $426.5 million contract that he signed back in March 2019. Starting next year, Trout will earn $35.45 million per year until 2030.

It is unclear when Trout will make an official statement about his season, but until then, he will not be returning to the field.

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