Until Tuesday, the Angels had played 425 road games since Mike Trout was last called up on April 28, 2012. When Trout and the Angels arrived in a city, it had long since become customary for fans and autograph seekers to crowd the team hotel. They tended to reappear when the bus was due to depart for the ballpark.
Early Monday morning, the Angels arrived in a Detroit suburb to notably little fanfare. It was clear why: For the first time in more than five years, Trout is not accompanying them on this trip, relegated to the disabled list because of a tear in his thumb.