Mookie Betts is in the prime of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing alongside Major League Baseball’s greatest talents within his own clubhouse on a day-to-day basis. Those pairings culminated in a World Series title last year, and the second in five years.
Betts has also played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, including the 2023 team that reached the finals. A big piece to that team’s success was Los Angeles Angels All-Star Mike Trout, who led them in hits, home runs and runs scored.
Those numbers were a glimpse of what Trout has posted in MLB in prior years, but injuries have held him out from playing significant time. Since the start of the 2021 season, Trout has played in just 266 games.
Appearing on “All The Smoke” with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Betts spoke about Trout’s ability when healthy, and how impactful he could be if he’s out there for a full season:
“I wish he didn’t get hurt. I hope he plays next year and does not get hurt. … I think the same thing about Shohei is the same thing about Trout. When he plays, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. That’s my homeboy, and I’m like, ‘Man.’ If God lets that man be healthy one year, I think he’s going to go crazy.”
Trout is a three-time MVP winner, former Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-Star and a nine-time Sliver Slugger recipient. Even with his hardware, concerns over longevity have taken over the narrative in regard to Trout’s career.
The Angels are in need of what Trout provides when healthy, as they’ve been a team searching for more and will need it without Shohei Ohtani. In effort to keep him on the field, the Angels are moving Trout to right field for this season.
Mike Trout’s injury history
After Trout tore the meniscus in his left knee last year, the Angels announced he would miss the remainder of the season in early August. Dating back to 2021, he’s played in 266 of 648 possible games (41%).
In 2017, Trout tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb on a stolen base attempt, then in 2021 he missed 139 days because of a calf strain. Back inflammation kept Trout out for over a month in 2022, and in 2023 he broke the hamate bone in his left hand that required two stints on the injured list.
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