Mike Trout to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery

Mike Trout has elected to undergo thumb surgery to repair a torn left ligament and will miss the next six-eight weeks.

The Los Angeles Angels, and baseball, was dealt a crushing blow on Monday. After injuring his thumb sliding into second base on Sunday against the Marlins, an MRI today revealed that outfielder Mike Trout tore a ligament. Trout was later placed on the disabled list on Monday for the first time in his career.

Now, the Angels have revealed that Trout has elected to have the thumb surgically repaired. He is expected to miss the next six-eight weeks. The Angels revealed the devastating news and announced the surgery is set for Wednesday:

Needless to say, this is not good news for Los Angeles. Trout, a two-time American League MVP, was enjoying another incredible season in 2017. He’s hitting .337/.461/.742, with a league-leading 16 home runs, 36 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

The Angels are 26-27 on the season and currently two games out of a Wild Card spot. They have suffered a slew of injuries, mostly to their starting pitching, in a year that they were not really expected to compete even if healthy.

With Trout sidelined, Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere are expected to get an increase in playing time. Obviously, neither can be expected to produce anywhere near what Trout has generated.

The good news for the Angels is that Trout will most likely be back this season. It will, however, be very difficult for them to stay competitive in Trout’s absence. If they can stay afloat for the next two months, anything can happen once Trout gets back.

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Trout has finished in the top two in the American League MVP race every year since his first full season (2012). He is the active leader in OPS at .975 and is 12th among active players in wins above replacement (52), while just 25 years old.