Angels superstar center fielder Mike Trout is headed to the team’s injured list due to a hamstring injury, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Blum and Ken Rosenthal on Thursday afternoon.
In a corresponding move, Blum reported that the Angels are calling up former top prospect Christian Moore to take his place on the roster.
Trout, 34, was in the midst of a comeback season, as he was finally playing healthy baseball again.
This year, he’s certainly started to look like his old self and has been one of the best comeback stories in baseball, having 17 home runs and an .866 OPS.
At the beginning of June, Trout was in a cold stretch but once again started to find life in his bat. Over his last seven games, Trout had three home runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
Trout was on his way to earning his 12th nod as an All-Star and was set to appear in his first All-Star Game since 2019. He ranks second among American League outfielders in votes (926,601) behind the Yankees’ Aaron Judge.
From 2021-2024, Trout spent significant time on the IL, dealing with a calf injury, back injury, broken hamate bone and a torn meniscus on his left knee. The knee injury in 2024 affected his play in 2025.
Last season, the Angels decided to move Trout from center field to right field to try to keep him healthy.
He appeared in 130 games but didn’t look like the three-time AL MVP that he’s been in the past, hitting .232 and striking out 178 times, his second-highest total in a season.
During spring training this year, the Angels and Trout agreed to move him back to center because he finds it more comfortable and less taxing on his body.
With Trout going on the IL, Moore is slated to fill his place.
Moore was drafted as a second baseman with the eighth pick of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Angels and has struggled against MLB pitching.
In the minors this season, Moore has bounced around various positions, spending time at second base, third base and left field.
On May 3, Moore was placed on the IL while playing for Triple-A Salt Lake. Before the injury, he was struggling in the minors, hitting .213 with 24 strikeouts.
Since he’s returned to the Bees, he’s been on a tear, hitting six home runs, batting .474 and recording a 1.423 OPS in June.