Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout has missed significant portions of the past four full seasons due to injuries, but 2021 was his most lost year yet. Trout suffered a Grade 2 right calf strain on May 17 and was originally expected to miss six to eight weeks. Instead, he ended up missing the rest of the season.
Update — Trout is batting second for the Angels on Opening Day against the Houston Astros.
As the sun rises on a new season, Trout is back and supposedly 100% healthy. The Angels reportedly considered moving him to a corner outfield spot, but Trout will stay in center for now.
The three-time AL MVP is 30 years old now. He’s not the defensive standout he used to be. Once an elite base-stealer, he may not reach double-digit steals this year. And it feels like his next big injury is always right around the corner. But when he is on the field, Trout remains arguably the best player in Major League Baseball. He has hit .301/.419/.611 with 25 home runs in the 89 games he’s played since the start of 2020. His career 1.002 OPS is the best among active players.
Fantasy managers will obviously have to accept plenty of injury risk with Trout, but as of right now, he is good to go with no restrictions. If he plays 150-plus games, it’s not hard to envision Trout being the most valuable player in both real and fantasy baseball once again.