WEST SACRAMENTO — Mike Trout continues to move closer to a return, but he said he still doesn’t have a date planned for his return.
“I wish,” Trout said. “I’m trusting what they tell me. They have a routine for me every day, just building it up.”
Trout, who has been out with a bone bruise in his left knee since May 1, said the last remaining hurdle is running the bases. He hopes to do that “soon.” He said he ran at about 50% intensity on Monday, and he will increase that when he runs on Wednesday.
“I’m really excited where I’m at right now,” he said. “We’re upping the intensity and no soreness. It’s good.”
Trout is now hitting every day, including facing game-speed velocity against a machine. He said he does not believe he will need a rehab assignment.
“Hitting has been unbelievable,” Trout said. “I’m itching to come back.”
Manager Ron Washington said the Angels are holding Trout back, at this point.
“I’m more than certain Mike would probably tell you he’s ready to go now, but we’ve got to hold Mike back until we’re certain we’ve checked every box,” Washington said. “He’s coming along. His eagerness to get back on the field is mounting.”
All of that optimism notwithstanding, Angels fans certainly will have some skepticism until Trout is back on the field. He missed most of three of the past four years with injuries, and in each of those cases, he was on the verge of returning before suffering a setback that ended up costing him the rest of the season. In 2023, Trout was actually activated for one game in August before getting hurt again.
PROMOTED
The Angels promoted Christian Moore, their No. 1 position player prospect, from Double-A to Triple-A on Tuesday.
Moore was hitting .234 with one homer and a .665 OPS at Double-A, although he had hit .310 with a .700 OPS in his previous seven games.
“He started swinging the bat better in Double-A, and organization felt like he needed a challenge, and we’re gonna give him that challenge,” Washington said. “He might go up to Triple-A, and all of a sudden he’d find what we want him to do. And he might go up to Triple A, and it not happen. But we wanted to give him a challenge, so we did it.”
Washington said Moore’s defense at second base was “great.”
STEPHENSON UPDATE
Right-hander Robert Stephenson was moved from Class-A Inland Empire to Triple-A Salt Lake in his rehab assignment.
Stephenson, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, pitched twice at Class-A. Stephenson’s rehab assignment is set to expire on June 12, although it could be extended.
Washington said the Angels aren’t certain that Stephenson will use the whole 30 days.
“That’s gonna depend on his progress,” Washington said. “That’s gonna depend on his recovery. That’s gonna depend on the workload he takes on. At some point, if we think that Stephenson is ready, we’re not going to hold him accountable for those days. Right now we’re going to take it a day at a time and see how he recovers, see what he does, and make our judgement from there.”
Washington said one of the hurdles Stephenson likely needs to clear is pitching on back-to-back days.
NOTES
Designated hitter Jorge Soler was not in the lineup on Tuesday because Washington wanted to give him some time to “work on what he’s trying to get done and think a little bit.” Soler hit .151 with a .432 OPS in his 61 plate appearances prior to Tuesday. …
Outfielder Matthew Lugo was benched in favor of Kyren Paris on Tuesday. Lugo had been off to a hot start, but he went hitless with four strikeouts on Monday. …
Right-hander Chase Silseth has been on the injured list at Triple-A. The Angels have not revealed the nature of the injury.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 3-5, 4.71) at Athletics (LHP J.P. Sears, 4-3, 3.31), Wednesday, 7:05 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM