Angels’ Mike Trout felt ‘relieved’ after deciding to end his 2021 comeback

3 years ago 337

ANAHEIM ― Earlier this month, Mike Trout decided it was time. He was ending his quest to play shot again successful 2021. He had been retired of enactment for excessively agelong since straining his close calf musculus successful May, and determination was not capable clip near connected the calendar to commencement a due insignificant league rehabilitation assignment. So helium rested.

A week oregon 2 later, Trout started moving retired again.

“I felt great,” helium said. “I don’t consciousness (the calf injury) astatine all. The doctors accidental it should beryllium afloat healed.”

It wasn’t the happy, forward-looking enactment Trout wanted to extremity the 2021 play on, but it volition person to do. By returning to afloat wellness ― albeit excessively precocious to assistance the Angels ― helium tin get a caput commencement connected his off-season grooming regimen with an oculus connected outpouring grooming successful 2022.

In his archetypal interrogation since making the determination to unopen down his 2021 comeback, Trout didn’t walk excessively agelong indulging assorted what-ifs Saturday afternoon. He conceded the Angels’ spot successful the standings made the determination easier. He besides acknowledged the hazard helium faced by coming backmost prematurely.

“I deliberation if I’d person gone retired there, I would’ve been playing a game, 2 games, person off,” helium said. “It would’ve been pugnacious for me. The smarter happening for maine is to person a afloat steadfast off-season.”

Trout said determination were times this summertime erstwhile helium targeted a circumstantial day for the opening of a insignificant league rehab assignment. But erstwhile helium went done his workout the time before, his assemblage didn’t respond good enough. Trout had to acceptable a caller people day with the Angels’ grooming staff.

That simply added to his vexation ― a intelligence hurdle to complement the carnal ailment.

“If I’d person gone retired determination and thing other happened due to the fact that I’d person been favoring (his close calf), that would’ve been truly frustrating,” Trout said. “Once we made that determination arsenic a group, it enactment my caput wherever it needed to be. It relieved maine a bit, due to the fact that I was putting truthful overmuch unit connected myself to spell retired there. Now I’m successful a bully place. I’m looking guardant to a steadfast off-season, looking guardant to adjacent year.”

Trout had 8 location runs, 18 RBIs and a .333 batting mean successful 36 games astatine the clip of his injury. Only 5 Angels entered play Saturday with much location runs this season.

OHTANI UNLEASHED

Shohei Ohtani has a greenish airy to bargain a basal “almost 100 percent of the time,” Manager Joe Maddon said. Now that he’s drafting walks astatine an unprecedented rate, Ohtani figures to adhd to his full of 24 steals this season.

Ohtani drew 11 walks successful a three-game span from Wednesday done Friday, tying a grounds acceptable by Bryce Harper successful 2016. He stole 1 basal during the 3 games.

“It’s conscionable a substance of the pitcher’s rating,” Maddon said. “(Friday) nighttime we had immoderate antithetic opportunities. We were trying. But yeah, if they’re going to locomotion him, let’s instrumentality vantage of his speed.”

Maddon confirmed that Ohtani volition deed for himself erstwhile helium pitches Sunday against Seattle.