Mike Trout has been out since July 3 with a broken hamate bone. But he could return as soon as Saturday.
Before the first game of the doubleheader against the Rays due to Hurricane Hilary, Angels manager Phil Nevin provided an update on his injured superstar outfielder.
While Trout is not back in the lineup for the first game, J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register reported that it’s possible Trout could be back for the second game.
Two here today. Jimmy Herget is 27th on the #Angels roster, but number 46 in your program. Lineup: pic.twitter.com/XpGcmneb3P
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) August 19, 2023
Nevin reportedly said that Trout is going to hit early and see how he feels, and then the team will decide from there. While they don’t want to rush him back, it sounds like he’s been close to a return for the last week, and the final step was hitting live pitching.
Trout hit on Thursday, and came out of it feeling good, so a return on Saturday is starting to become possible.
If Trout doesn’t return for Game 2 of the doubleheader on Saturday, his next opportunity would be Monday when the Angels welcome the Cincinnati Reds into town.
On the year, Trout is slashing .263/.369/.493 with 18 home runs and 44 RBIs in 304 at-bats. He would provide a huge boost all around for the Halos because, you know, adding a three-time MVP is always nice.