After another injury-filled season, Mike Trout is hoping to contribute much more to the Los Angeles Angels moving forward by switching outfield positions.
Last season, Trout, a three-time American League MVP, saw action in just 29 games after suffering a torn meniscus on April 29 and undergoing surgery to correct the issue. It marked the third season in the last four where Trout had played in 82 games or less because of injuries.
With Trout turning 34 on August 7 and the Angels desperately wanting to keep him in the lineup, Trout will shift from his customary spot in center field to seeing action primarily in right field moving forward. It’s a move that reportedly comes after a meeting with Angels coaches to determine the best path to keeping Trout healthy in 2025.
While right field may be his primary position in 2025, Trout told reporters he would also see time in center field and designated hitter as well.
Entering his 15th MLB season, Trout has not played right field in a regular-season game since the 2012 campaign and has logged just 17 games in right field during his career. In comparison, he has 1,344 games in center field.
Trout’s move to right will open a spot in center that will likely be filled by Mickey Moniak with Jo Adell and others spotting him.
Moniak, the top overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, was the Angels’ primary center fielder last season, playing 101 games there. That transition should be seamless for manager Ron Washington’s squad.
What happens to Adell, however, will be something to watch in spring training. The primary right fielder for Los Angeles last season (playing there in 119 games), the 25-year-old Adell has been an enigma for the Angels since being selected 10th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft.
He hit a career-high 20 homers last season, but slashed just .207/.280/.402 in 451 plate appearances. That was a big drop-off from his first 109 plate appearances of the year when he slashed .255/.312/.520.
While Trout played in just 29 games last season, his time on the field reminded fans why he is likely on a path to Cooperstown. His 10 home runs in 109 at-bats ended up seventh on the Angels for the entire season and his 1.1 bWAR accumulated during that short time landed him sixth among all Angels position players.
