Aug 23, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Angels' Mike Trout Gets Honest About Major Struggles, Knee Injury

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has struggled over the past couple of weeks, and he is still dealing with some knee discomfort.

Trout, over the past 15 games, has racked up 50 at-bats, slashing a poor line of .200/.375/.220 with no homers and two RBIs. He has managed to work 14 walks, but he has 21 strikeouts.

The 34-year-old missed a month of action with a bone bruise in his left knee, and since he came back, he was hitting the ball well, but August has not been an excellent month for the future Hall of Famer.

Regarding the pain, Trout said he still feels it, but that he is feeling well before hitting the field.

“I feel it. It is what it is," Trout told Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

“The stuff I’m doing in the cage feels good, feels right. Just the last few games just fell off in the game.”

On the season as a whole, Trout is hitting .235/.366/.436 with 20 home runs and 52 RBIs. He has a 120 wRC+, valued at 1.5 WAR.

He still has power in his bat and can slug very well, but his contract rate is low. His expected batting average is 27th percentile, and his squared-up rate is 5th percentile.

According to Baseball Savant, Trout sits at the top in launch angle sweet-spot, 90th percentile in chase percentage, and 86th percentile in expected weighted on base average.

He sees pitches well, fielding a 98th percentile walk rate, but he is still very aggressive at the plate with a 5th percentile strikeout rate.

Trout brings a ton of offensive value, but his recent issues hitting the ball have been a bit of a theme for the season.

Along with his offensive issues, the right fielder is not playing much on the field; instead, he has taken on a DH role since coming back from the knee injury.

Despite his injury record, Trout is committed to coming back as an outfielder eventually, though with his knee pain, it is hard to see him playing out there anytime soon.

“Still trying to get back out there, for sure,” Trout told The Athletic.

“But when I ramped up the intensity, it was getting more sore. I’m just trying to stay in the lineup. … I feel it a lot.”

“We’ll talk about this stuff. The main thing is preparing myself, preparing to be able to be in the lineup, whether that’s DHing or being in the outfield. … (This experience) has definitely given me repetition over a long period of time. But I enjoy playing the outfield.”