Mike Trout's position change raises big question for Angels

For most of his career, Mike Trout made playing center field look effortless. 

He managed the toughest spot in the outfield and even made difficult plays look routine. Deep fly ball to the gap? Trout would track it down. A line drive headed for trouble? Somehow, he always seemed to be there.

A change that nobody saw coming

Trout is no longer in the early part of his career, back when he glided across the outfield grass like it was nothing. He is now 34 years old, and in the last several seasons, he has been plagued with injuries that have limited how often he can stay on the field. Calf strains. Back issues. Long stretches on the injured list that used to feel impossible for a player who once seemed indestructible.

As those injuries began to take their toll, the Los Angeles Angels began to change how they utilized Trout. Less time in center field. More appearances at designated hitter. Sometimes, he shifted to a corner outfield spot where the workload is lighter and the ground covered is smaller. The strategy was easy to understand: Keep his bat in the lineup while minimizing the physical toll that he took on his body.

Now, after several years of playing right field and occasionally left field, Trout is expected to play in center field again. There is no better time to experiment than during spring training. Players are moved around the field, new lineups are tested and there is nothing unusual about that.

But moving Mike Trout back to center field? It seems like a bold move.

Center field is not exactly a relaxing assignment on a baseball field. The position demands speed, range and constant movement. Balls hit into the gaps require long sprints. Outfielders must track line drives off the bat and react in seconds.

That job becomes harder with age, especially for a player who has already dealt with a laundry list of injuries.

All of this raises an obvious question.

Why take the risk now?

There are a couple of explanations. One is that Trout truly looks healthy again. Spring training workouts can reveal a lot about how a player is moving. If he feels strong and the medical staff agrees, the Angels may simply believe their superstar is ready to handle the role again.

The Angels have spent years trying to plug and play different guys in to center field. Asking Trout to return to center might solve a defensive problem while also keeping one of the best bats in baseball in the middle of the order.

Still, it feels like a gamble for a team who has not made the postseason in well over a decade. The Angels are asking their franchise player with a recent injury history to return to the most demanding outfield position. 

If Trout stays healthy and performs the way he has for most of his career, the move will look like a smart decision by the middle of the summer. If his body does not hold up, the gamble becomes much harder to defend.