Angels Manager Says Mike Trout Still Has a Few Boxes to Check Before Return

With the likes of Taylor Ward, Zach Neto, and Logan O'Hoppe carrying the offense, it's exciting to think what the group will look like once Mike Trout returns to action.

Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register offered a big update on the Angels' star player. Trout has not played since April 30 due to a bone bruise in his knee. Fletcher reported that Trout has been active in running during his rehabilitation. It's to the point that he's worked out his knee in that capacity multiple times this week. He's also taken batting practice.

As manager Ron Washington told Fletcher, Trout's path back to the field still requires a bit of time.

“I think in the next few days they’ll get him on the base paths," Washington said. "And then we’ll look and see how many more boxes we have to check. At this point we don’t have very many, but we do have some boxes to check.

“[A rehabilitation stint in the minor leagues] hasn’t been discussed, but that may be something that we talk about."

Through the first month of the season prior to his injury, Trout was hitting .179 with nine homers and 18 runs batted in. Those numbers are not "Trout-like" in nature — though the deeper analytics tell a somewhat different story that may make fans a bit more optimistic.

According to Baseball Savant, Trout ranked higher than the 90th percentile in expected slugging percentage, launch angle sweet spot percentage, and barrel percentage. He also ranked fairly high in arm strength, sprint speed, expected weighted on-base percentage, and bat speed.

Where Trout primarily struggled was with strikeouts. His whiff percentage and strikeout rate was very poor. Trout's range in the outfield similarly was among the worst in baseball for his position.

Even if Trout doesn't regain the batting average he once had, he still profiles as a guy who will slug at an elite level. At the very least, once back with the ballclub, Trout should make Washington's team better than it already is.

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