Trout speaks on recovery, open to moving to corner OF or DH

ANAHEIM -- Angels superstar Mike Trout said his twice surgically repaired left knee is feeling better and he’s open to potentially moving to a corner outfield spot or serving as designated hitter more often to try to stay healthy.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, tore his left meniscus on April 29 and underwent an operation on May 3. But after playing in just one rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on July 23, Trout felt some discomfort and shut down his rehab assignment. An initial MRI exam showed no new damage, but he still felt something in his knee a few days later and it was determined there was a new tear just above the former one. He underwent surgery on his 33rd birthday on Aug. 7 and said before Monday’s 8-4 loss to the White Sox at Angel Stadium, that he’s progressed to swinging the bat and participating in agility drills, which will allow him to have a normal offseason.

“I feel great,” Trout said. “I just started swinging about four or five days ago, just trying to get back into a routine so I can have a normal offseason. It's getting stronger every day. Feels good being able to move some weight around.”

Trout noted it’ll be an important winter for him, as he’s determined to stay on the field more after dealing with injuries in recent seasons. He was limited to 36 games in 2021 because of a left calf strain, 119 games in '22 because of a back injury, 82 games in '23 because of a hamate fracture in his left hand and 29 games this year because of his torn meniscus.

Trout, who is signed through 2030 after inking a 12-year deal worth $426.5 million, said he’s open to just about anything to stay healthy and is willing to talk to the front office about potentially moving from center field.

“I think there’s definitely going to be some conversations in the offseason,” Trout said. “It's reality. I know I have a certain amount of years on my deal and I knew when I signed my contract, I’d eventually move to a corner. But is it next year? I don’t know. But we’ll have conversations.”

Trout has exclusively played center field since 2014 but has played 124 games in left field and 17 in right field in his career, including 67 games in left in '12 and 47 games there in '13. He’s also started at DH 80 times but has said in the past he has trouble finding the right routine as a DH, and he's a career .214 hitter in that role.

“I think everything's on the table,” Trout said. “Ultimately, my goal is to be in that batter's box, in the field every single day. Whether that's moving to a corner or DHing more, I’ll leave it up to the front office to come up with a plan. Where I'm at and what's happened the last few years, I’m definitely going to try to explore every option that can keep me out there.”

Trout still doesn’t know how he injured his knee either time this season, which makes it even more frustrating. His hamate fracture was also a freak injury on a swing last year. He believes he prepares the right way but is also open to making changes.

“I think you're always going to sit down with your family and your team just trying to figure out what ways we can try to prevent stuff,” Trout said. “I felt really confident in where I was and how I was training and how I was working out during the season. And coming into spring, I felt really good. So there’s definitely going to be some conversations on things that I can improve on.”

Trout said he believes he can get back to an elite level offensively and was working on some mechanical changes before he reinjured his knee. He said the key is cutting down on his chase rate and getting back to swinging at strikes.

His manager Ron Washington knows Trout still has plenty left in the tank and is excited to see what he can do if he stays healthy.

“Mike Trout is Mike Trout,” Washington said. “If he’s healthy, he will show you what he can do. I’ve never seen work ethic like his and how well he does what he does out there. And that's the reason why he's won three MVPs. So even the Mike Trout today, he can still do things that other people can't do.”