4:48 p.m.: The angels breathe a sigh of relief when the X-rays on Trout’s hand come back negative. per team. For the time being, it is regarded as everyday life.
3:15 p.m.: Mike Trout was removed from the Angels game today after he was killed, according to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (via twitter). Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group provides a video of the hit-by-pitch here.
It’s too early to speculate on the severity of the injury, but it doesn’t bode well that Trout had to leave the game. Needless to say, losing Trout for a significant amount of time so early in the season would be a devastating blow to the Angels.
Trout, long considered baseball’s best player, missed most of last season with a calf strain that seemed to get worse the longer he was out. He ended up playing just 36 games and batting .333/.466/.624 over 146 plate appearances, good for a robust 190 wRC+.
There’s enough anxiety that Trout might slow down now that he’s in his thirties, and another prolonged absence would only add to the concern. If it’s healthy, the bottom line numbers certainly haven’t suffered. For their part, the Angels would have a hard time making up for the loss of Trout, even with Brandon March on the squad and able to intervene defensively. There is simply no substitute for a talent like Trout going forward. Hopefully the injury turns out to be minor.