When Mike Trout brushed off unsubstantiated HGH usage rumors

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout always stood against baseball players who consumed PEDs. Once rumors spread that Trout had consumed a performance-enhancing substance. In 2020, Trout claimed that he never lost sleep over unfounded HGH usage allegations.

Brushing off the rumors, Mike Trout said:

"I didn't worry about it because it's not true."

Trout stated that then-Cincinnati Reds' Trevor Bauer apologized for giving the rumour legitimacy. Players were aware that Trout had a thyroid condition that prohibited him from using HGH.

At the time, a joint statement from MLB and MLBPA read:

"Neither Mike Trout nor any other player has a TUE for HGH, according to a joint statement from MLB and the PA"

Mike Trout advocated for severe penalties for PED users

Trout shared his thoughts on performance-enhancing substances in Major League Baseball in a 2013 radio interview in New York.

"I think MLB is definitely moving in the right direction with getting these guys," Trout said. "For me personally, I think you should be out of the game if you get caught. It takes away from the guys that are working hard every day and doing it all-natural."

Trout made his MLB debut in 2011. He has been selected to 10 MLB All-Star games, has won the Silver Slugger Award nine times, and has been named the American League's (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times.

Los Angeles Angels v Baltimore Orioles

Additionally, he led the American national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The Angels picked Trout in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He briefly played in the big league in 2011. He joined the Angels as a regular player the following year. He was awarded the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year Award unanimously.