Activated by the Los Angeles Angels on Friday after spending one month on the injured list, Mike Trout is in the starting lineup as the designated hitter against the host Cleveland Guardians.
Trout, 33, is batting fifth in his return. Outfielder Matthew Lugo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move.
Trout, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player, sustained a bone bruise on his surgically repaired left knee while trying to beat out a grounder on April 30.
This week, Trout resumed running the bases and taking batting practice.
He returns to an Angels team that has lost five games in a row after winning its previous eight.
Trout is in his first season as a right fielder, having moved from center field in an attempt to maintain his health.
In his absence, Jo Adell served as the primary right fielder and hit .200 with four homers and seven RBIs over 23 games this month.
That average is actually higher than Trout’s .179 this year. He’s also carrying a subpar .264 on-base percentage. However, Trout has nine homers, 18 RBIs and a .462 slugging percentage through 29 games.
Trout, 33, captured AL Rookie of the Year in 2012, then won AL MVP honors in 2014, 2016 and 2019. He also finished second in MVP voting in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. The 11-time All-Star is a nine-time Silver Slugger honoree.
Across 1,547 games in 15 seasons, Trout owns a career batting slash line of .297/.408/.579 with 387 homers, 972 RBIs and 214 stolen bases. His total of 85.8 Win Shares, per Baseball-Reference, ranks fifth all-time among center fielders — trailing only Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Mickey Mantle.
–Field Level Media
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