Trout gets day off to keep him fresh for the season
BOSTON >> Although it seems there’s never a good day to give Mike Trout the day off, Angels manager Joe Maddon is committed to doing it anyway.
Trout was not in the Angels’ lineup Thursday, the team’s 14th game in a streak of 20 games without an off day. The Angels are trying to keep their star player fresh, particularly since he’s coming off an injury-shortened year and a lockout-shortened spring training.
The Angels had toyed with the idea of moving Trout out of center field because they want to do whatever they can to keep him healthy.
“Planned off day,” Maddon said. “If you want to give somebody the day off, give them a day off.”
Maddon said Trout was available to play later in the game on Thursday.
Trout has started 20 of the Angels’ 27 games in the outfield and two at designated hitter. He missed one game with a stomach bug and he missed three games after he was hit by a pitch, so Thursday was the first game that he was off by the manager’s decision.
Trout, 30, played just 36 games last season, missing the rest with a strained calf. He played 53 in the 60-game pandemic season in 2020, and 134 in 2019. He hasn’t played more than 150 games since 2016, so the Angels believe it’s in his best interest and theirs to keep an eye on his workload.
Trout has said that he has a new workout regimen that is also intended to help prevent injuries.
So far this season, his production has been exceptional. Trout is hitting .316 with a 1.118 OPS, although he hadn’t been quite as good lately. He was 2 for 12 with seven strikeouts in the three games prior to Thursday.
Trout
Where was Lorenzen?
When the Angels resorted to catcher Kurt Suzuki playing first base because they were out of position players in Wednesday’s 10-inning victory, it begged the question of why former two-way player Michael Lorenzen didn’t get into the game.
Maddon said he would have used Lorenzen for something — to pinch-hit, play outfield or run — but he wasn’t there.
“I said to someone ‘Go get Lorenzen,’ and they said ‘Well, he’s on a plane,’” Maddon said Thursday.
Lorenzen had worked out at Fenway Park on Wednesday afternoon and then he left to return to California, in preparation for his next start. He’s in line to pitch Saturday, although the Angels still haven’t announced their starters for any games this weekend.
“Just part of his program to get ready for a start,” Maddon said. “We have a couple of guys that have like really different kinds of programs. And I don’t interfere with it. I’m good with it. He might have to walk on the beach. I have no idea.”