Mike Trout gets hit with truth from ex-Yankees coach on muscle injury recovery

Injuries can take time to heal, and sometimes the effects of the procedure done to recover can have a lasting effect on one's body. Mike Trout knows that better than most. After all, the three-time MVP has had injuries throughout his career.

The LA Angels outfielder is yet to play more than 100 games since 2021, except for the 2022 season, when he played 119 games. That's because the outfielder has struggled to stay healthy, leading to the Angels not being able to make the postseason. Heading into 2025, Trout has decided to play right field or DH so that he doesn't get injured playing center field.

During Sean Casey's The Mayor's Office podcast on Monday, the former New York Yankees coach spoke about the injury troubles of Trout, drawing parallels to similar injuries he sustained back in the day.

"And let me tell you, once you pull a muscle, it’s never the same," Casey said (10:50 onwards). "I pulled a hamstring in 2004—way up high near my butt—and I still feel it in 2025. Just the other day, I was walking up my driveway with the garbage cans and thought, 'Is that my hamstring again?' I had a calf injury years ago, and I still feel it.

"My shoulder, my neck—they still bother me. When you pull a hammy or a calf, it just doesn’t heal the way it used to. Look at Trout’s injury history—it's all lower extremities. Hamstrings, calves, groin—those injuries don’t go away. When you’ve been hurt, your body remembers, and it never quite goes back to being what it was."

Over the past few years, Mike Trout has sustained several injuries, ranging from meniscus tears, a calf strain, back issues and a broken hand. The Angels will hope that the shift in position will help the outfielder remain healthy in 2025.

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Baseball's better when Mike Trout is healthy, says Sean Casey

During the same podcast, Sean Casey noted that playing center field at Trout’s age only increases the wear and tear on his body. He argued that a shift to right field or more DH appearances would be beneficial for Trout’s longevity.

"Baseball is better when Mike Trout is on the field," Casey added. "Even when he missed time, his numbers were insane. In 2023, he still hit 40 home runs despite missing 54 games.

"In 2022, he had 40 home runs in just 119 games with a .999 OPS. But playing center field is a grind, and the constant stop-and-go motion takes a toll, especially as you get older."

According to Casey and his co-host Rich Ciancimino, the move to right field could help reduce the risk of more injuries and allow Mike Trout to continue producing at an elite level for years.