Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout is down with another meniscus tear in his surgically repaired left knee and will not be able to play the remaining games of this season.
Trout wrote that an MRI a day earlier “showed a tear in my meniscus that will require surgery again, ending my hopes of returning this season in a post to social media on Thursday.”
“Playing and competing is a huge part of my life,” Trout added. “This is equally as heartbreaking and frustrating for me as it is for you, the fans. I understand that I may have disappointed many, but believe me, I will do everything I can to come back even stronger.”
The center fielder, who turned 33 on Wednesday, was down with his first meniscus tear on April 29 and had surgery four days later. His initial hope, sources said, was slated to return within four to six weeks, which doctors told him was a best-case scenario. It then took a little more than 11 weeks for Trout to start a rehab assignment.
He exited on July 23 after one plate appearance and two innings in center field because of the discomfort he has in his left knee. The discomfort continued a day later, causing him to exit his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees and fly to Southern California for reevaluation. Trout discussed this with a journalist last Friday and said an MRI came back clean, adding that he was just dealing with soft-tissue buildup and inflammation. He also said he could return to baseball “any day now.”
Trout was not relieved of the discomfort, even after the days that the MRI was done on him. Another tear was discovered in a different spot of his knee when he had another scan on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Angels are optimistic that Trout will be returning for training next year. He will have six years and $212.7 million remaining on his contract by the time he returns next year.