"There’s definitely going to be some conversations" - Mike Trout ready for shift to corner outfield or DH to stay healthy in 2025

Mike Trout is open to the idea of shifting to a corner outfield role, besides taking up the DH role more often in the future so that he can be healthy and available for the Los Angeles Angels. Trout said he will discuss the matter with his team as he continues his recovery from a torn meniscus on his left knee, which has kept him out of the MLB since the end of April.

Injuries have plagued Mike Trout in recent times. The Angels superstar has played just 266 games in the last four years, missing more than two full seasons to injury since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Trout started 2024 in excellent fashion, before getting ruled out for the entirety of the season after undergoing two surgeries on his knee within just three months.

As per MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, Trout is currently debating a move away from centerfield to decrease the physical load on his body.

“I think there’s definitely going to be some conversations in the offseason,” Trout said via MLB.com. “It's reality. I know I have a certain amount of years on my deal and I knew when I signed my contract, I’d eventually move to a corner. But is it next year? I don’t know. But we’ll have conversations.

“I think everything's on the table. Ultimately, my goal is to be in that batter's box, in the field every single day. Whether that's moving to a corner or DHing more, I’ll leave it up to the front office to come up with a plan. Where I'm at and what's happened the last few years, I’m definitely going to try to explore every option that can keep me out there," he added.

Prior to his injury, Trout batted .220/.325/.541 with a .867 OPS and 10 home runs in 29 games this season. It is the least number of games that he has played in a single season, seven fewer than his number of appearances in 2021.

Getting stronger every day: Mike Trout

Mike Trout played just 29 games for the Los Angeles Angels this season (Image Credit: IMAGN)

In May, Mike Trout had surgery for a torn meniscus on his left knee, which was set to keep him on the sidelines for two months. However, during his first rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake, Trout felt discomfort in the same area as the Angels pulled off his rehab assignment.

Although MRI scans showed no new damage, a separate tear was located above the former one. Currently, Trout is recovering from surgery on his left knee that he underwent on his 33rd birthday on Aug. 7 and has progressed into taking batting and agility drills to improve mobility.

“I feel great. I just started swinging about four or five days ago, just trying to get back into a routine so I can have a normal offseason. It's getting stronger every day. Feels good being able to move some weight around," Trout said.

“I think you're always going to sit down with your family and your team just trying to figure out what ways we can try to prevent stuff. I felt really confident in where I was and how I was training and how I was working out during the season. And coming into spring, I felt really good. So there’s definitely going to be some conversations on things that I can improve on," he added.

Mike Trout won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2012 and is an 11-time All-Star with three MVP titles, but he has made just one postseason appearance over his 12 seasons with the Angels.