The Angels optioned outfielder Matthew Lugo to Triple-A Salt Lake, clearing the way for Mike Trout’s return to the active roster Friday.
According to multiple reports Thursday, the Angels will do exactly that. Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group was first with the news on Twitter/X.
Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians will be Trout’s first since he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee on April 30. Trout’s return comes at an opportune time for an Angels team that has lost five consecutive games, scoring five runs combined in the process.
The welcome news comes just two days after Angels manager Ron Washington was noncomittal about Trout’s return date.
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“I can’t answer that right now,” Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters, including Fletcher, when asked if Trout could play this weekend. “I’ve got to see how things fare the next time on the base paths, and how he recovers.”
Thursday’s workout ostensibly went quite well for Trout.
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Back on May 11, Trout told reporters he was joining the team on its next road series, and termed it likely he would begin a running progression there. His progress in the weeks since has been slow.
Prior to the injury, Trout posted an uncharacteristic .179/.264/.462 slash line, well below his usual standard. The sum total of his offense and defense in right field netted out to a month’s worth of replacement-level production, with a slightly below-average 95 wRC+.
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Given Trout’s history, caution is in order.
The Angels signed Trout to a 12-year, $426.5 million contract in March 2019, at the time the richest contract in baseball history. He still has six years and $212.7 million left on the contract, including this season.
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The Angels moved Trout to right field this year in hopes of keeping him on the active roster longer.
Not only hasn’t that happened, the Angels have gotten a subpar .697 OPS from their right fielders this season, including Trout’s contribution to the total.
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Trout had nine home runs in 121 at-bats, a sign of the typically prodigious power still in his bat. Now, he’ll try to ramp up to face major league pitchers this weekend without a minor league rehab assignment.
For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.
