The days of Mike Trout as a central field player are over. The future temple of fame revealed on Monday that he and the Los Angeles Angels had made the decision to go right in an effort to preserve his body. Trout has not played a position other than Center Field (and DH) since 2013. He has 17 career games in the right field and none since 2012.
“In a way, do everything on the table, as in what is best for me in terms of body to keep me on the ground,” Trout said to journalists. “Came to the conclusion that I’m going to go to the right field. I like it. Try it. See where it’s okay … I knew it was going. I just have to get used to it. I just want to be on The field. “
The angels suggested a change of position several years agoAlthough trout was not ready to leave the central field at the time. He did not play after April 29 last April 29 due to a tear of the meniscus and a subsequent setback. In September, Trout said that it was open to positions because the injuries have continued to stack in recent years.
Trout, 33, only played 266 of the 648 possible games in the regular season in the past four years, or 41%. He does not have a chronic injury which continues to make appear. He missed veal tension, inflammation of the back, a broken hammate, then the meniscus torn from last year. It is a new injury every year. Trout and the angels hope that the change of position maintains it on the ground.
Center Field is the position of a young player because there is so much race. It is not only the bullets that the central field itself must go. The central field player must also back down on almost all the shots on the left or right. If the ball is struck in the outside field, the central field player is involved in one way or another. This is not always true with the fields of the left and right fields.
Lorenzo Cain, Adam Duvall, Brett Gardner, Kevin Kiermaier and Michael A. Taylor are the only players starting even 50 games in the central field at 33 and over in the past four years. Cain, Duvall and Kiermaier are the only three with more than 100 departures in the center during this period. This is the total over the four years, not only in a season.
With the trout moving to the right field, Mickey Moniak is the obvious candidate to take over in the center. Jo Adell also has center experience in the field, although his defense sounds badly. Jorge Soler is locked up at DH and Taylor Ward is rooted in the left field. Luis Rengifo can also play the outside field, if necessary.
Trout struck .220 / .325 / .541 with 10 circuits in 29 games before the end of his season last year. When he was on the ground, he was very productive. It is simply not on the ground that often these days. The Angels lost a 99 -game franchise record in 2024. It was their ninth consecutive loser season.
