It's been far, far too long since baseball fans got to enjoy a full season from Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout. When he's actually on the field, he's still among the best hitters in baseball, even if he's not quite the all-around, world-destroying force he was in his 20s. He just hasn't been on the field all that often: Trout hasn't cracked the 100-game mark since 2019, averaging just 64 games played over the last five years.
It's been one injury after another, from a calf tear to back discomfort to a hamate fracture to a torn meniscus, robbing us of what's left of the prime of one of the greatest players ever. Which is why this spring was so exciting: Finally, Trout was finally feeling (and hitting) like himself again, and it seemed like we had one heck of a revenge tour ahead of us.
That revenge tour nearly got derailed on the season's first day, but thankfully it seems like we've averted yet another Trout injury crisis.
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Mike Trout revenge tour nearly cut short by injury scare on Opening Day
At this point, Trout must be feeling like he simply can't catch a break. He had just gotten comfortable in the batter's box against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon, two pitches into his first at-bat of the year, when righty Sean Burke ran a fastball in on his hands:
Mike Trout gets hit in the hand in his first at bat of 2025, but he stayed in the game pic.twitter.com/xPwX7NHZJ6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 27, 2025
Thankfully, the ball appeared to mostly catch the guard over Trout's left hand, and the outfielder was able to stay in the game. We won't be fully out of the woods until we get word from the team that there's no need for further testing, but for now at least, the dream of a Trout renaissance remains alive ... until the next scare, at least.