Angels stir buzz around Mike Trout with latest roster move

Despite falling to a series sweep against the New York Yankees, there's a buzz among Los Angeles Angels fans after the team optioned Matthew Lugo to Triple-A affiliate Salt Lake Bees on Thursday. Lugo's exit has indicated a return for three-time MVP Mike Trout to the lineup.

Mike Trout was placed on the 10-day injured list after a bone injury in his left knee on April 30. Trout has been out of action since with the team calling up Matthew Lugo as a potential cover in the outfield.

Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher reported that Lugo's departure will be followed by Trout's return with the team set to activate the perennial All-Star from the injured list this week.

The news has created a buzz among Angels fans, who were deflated after their recent run of results in Trout's absence.

"Angels are so bad. Hopefully trout can help them get some street cred back," wrote a fan.

"Baseball is better with a healthy Mike Trout," wrote another fan.

"Best news I’ve heard all day!"

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Some fans are skeptical about the three-time MVP's health status given his injury history.

"Just for him to play 20 games and sit out another two months? Softest player in baseball," alleged a fan.

"What’s the over-under on how many games he plays before he’s back on the IL? I’m gonna say 15 games," wrote another fan.

"I thought Trout couldn’t even run at full speed yet… Is this a good idea?" Enquired a fan.

Mike Trout will need to pull weight for slumping Angels

Mike Trout's injury was a big blow for the Angels who struggled without the superstar last season. However, the Angels went on a stellar run without Trout. They swept defending World Series winners, the Los Angeles Dodgers and followed it with a four-game sweep of the Athletics to win eight consecutive games.

However, two consecutive series defeats, including three consecutive defeats against the New York Yankees this week, have highlighted the team's offensive shortcomings, scoring just three runs in the three-game series.

Trout is 179/.264/.462 with nine home runs and 18 RBI in 29 games this season, and the Angles would hope he could better his career-low batting average after his return.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash