Mike Trout, the best player in baseball, will miss six to eight with a strained right calf, the Los Angeles Angels announced on Tuesday. Trout, 29, exited Monday’s game against Cleveland at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., in the first inning after grimacing while running the bases. He then limped down the dugout steps.
Already a three-time winner of the American League Most Valuable Player Award, Trout was, by some measures, hitting at career-best rates. Through 36 games, the outfielder was hitting .333 and was leading the majors with a .466 on-base percentage and a 1.090 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Throughout his career, Trout has been a consistent presence in the Angels lineup. From 2012, his first full season, to 2019, he averaged 145 games per campaign. His last significant injury came in 2019, when he missed the final two weeks of the season following foot surgery. He still won the M.V.P. Award with 45 home runs, 104 runs batted in and a 1.083 O.P.S. in 134 games.
Despite his brilliance, and the breakout season of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels entered Tuesday with an 18-22 record, fourth place in the A.L. West.