As soon as he gets on the team bus, Mike Trout just wants to play baseball. As soon as his shoes touch the grass of Angel Stadium, he just wants to play baseball. It was the joy the Angels’ star centerfielder brings to each game, the exuberance after big hits or robbing opponents of home runs, that so endears him to fans.
Since May 17, when he felt a pop in his calf during a game against the Cleveland Indians, that joy has largely disappeared. Amid the longest recovery from injury of his career, Trout has been “going crazy.