Angels took a full decade to protect Mike Trout the right way

Mike Trout returned to the lineup over the weekend after a month-long absence, and he will be a much-needed boost for the struggling Los Angeles Angels. A three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, Trout's resume stacks up with the very best in baseball. The only thing holding him back from a place among the greatest to ever play is injuries.

Trout has not appeared in 100-plus games since 2022. Only once in the last five years. Trout has endured a variety of ailments, with his body failing him well before his skills declined. It has been one of the most frustrating and unfortunate storylines in the sport over the last half-decade.

Before his injury in late April, Trout was a mainstay in the lineup in right field. He didn't miss a game, functioning as the everyday superstar the Angels so desperately need. Then he got hurt again, which has forced Ron Washington to take drastic — and long overdue — action.

The Angels are finally putting Trout in bubblewrap and taking extra steps to protect him over the course of a long 162-game season. He won't be in the lineup on Monday when the Angels visit the Boston Red Sox. It's a scheduled day off.

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Angels finally play it safe with Mike Trout after latest injury

In addition to Monday's scheduled rest, Trout has been DH in each of his first two games back. The Angels moved him to right field this season in an effort to limit his burden in the field, but there is still a tremendous amount of movement required to play any outfield spot in MLB. Putting Trout in the DH more often — or even full time — is a clear next step as Los Angeles attempts preserve its best bat.

The early returns on Trout post-injury are quite promising. He went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. He's 4-for-9 in across two games back. For the season, Trout sits at .200 with a .746 OPS and nine home runs in only 31 games played. While Trout is still getting his legs beneath him, the power has not left his swing. This is a man quickly trending in the right direction.

Los Angeles needs all the help it can get. The likes of Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe and Taylor Ward have done a nice job keeping this Angels offense afloat, but Trout is a game-changing force — one of the few players capable of single-handedly elevating an entire lineup with his compact swing and crackling power. With Ron Washington's seat getting hot and the overall roster in a state of disrepair, the Angels need Trout to return to his superstar ways, now more than ever.

If Trout can stay healthy and deliver — and there's every reason to believe he can deliver, so long as he stays healthy — the Angels will slowly start to climb back up in the standings. It's way too early in the season to write off any team, much less an Angels team with a healthy Mike Trout.