Trout's rough season officially comes to an end

MINNEAPOLIS » Mike Trout's disappointing season finally came to an end on Sunday.

Although it had been increasingly apparent that Trout was unlikely to make it back as the season melted away and he progressed so slowly, it became official when the Angels moved him to the 60- day injured list on Sunday.

The Angels were creating a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Carson Fulmer, who was called up from Triple-A to replace injured left-hander Tyler Anderson.

Manager Phil Nevin said that Trout is going to continue to work out and try to swing, but it will be for the goal of doing normal workouts in the offseason.

“I know it's disappointing for him,” Nevin said. “It's frustrating for him. I'm not frustrated at him. Everybody wants to see Mike Trout play, nobody more than us. He helps us. He's one of the greatest players in the game. He was missed.”

Trout, 32, finishes his season having played 82 games. He played 36 games before suffering a season- ending calf injury in May 2021. Last year he played 119 games, missing five weeks with a back injury.

Trout fractured the hamate bone in his left hand on a swing on July 3. He had surgery to remove the bone a couple days later. The normal rehab time for that procedure is six to eight weeks, so the Angels hoped to get Trout back in early to mid August.

One of the reasons the Angels were willing to push for the playoffs with three trades in late July was that they expected to have Trout back.

He finally came back on Aug. 22 for one game, didn't feel right and went back on the injured list.

Trout ends the season with a .263 average, 18 homers and an .858 OPS. The average and OPS were both career worsts.

Another chance

Fulmer is back in the big leagues for the first time in two years. A 29-year-old who had been in the big leagues for parts of six seasons, Fulmer was in Triple-A with the Dodgers last year. The Seattle Mariners signed him to a minor league deal but he was released in spring training.

Fulmer then spent the first two months of this season looking for a job in baseball. Fulmer, who has a business degree from Vanderbilt, said he even began considering his “options” for a job out of baseball.

Asked what those options included, he said with a smile: “I honestly didn't have any.”

Fulmer eventually signed with the Angels and posted 5.27 ERA in 41 innings with Salt Lake. The Angels gave him another big league opportunity because Anderson has a knee injury.

“It was hard to get even a job this year,” he said. “To be be back is amazing. Any opportunity is something that I'm thankful for. I'm just ready to get a taste of it again.”

Also

The Angels activated Mike Moustakas (bruised wrist) from the injured list and put him in the lineup at DH on Sunday. They placed C. J. Cron ( lower back inflammation) on the injured list. Cron had been out for about a month before he was activated last week. He played one game on Thursday in Tampa, but apparently his back remained an issue. …

Fulmer would be the 65th player to appear for the Angels this season, one shy of the franchise record set last year.