When Will Mike Trout Return From The Injured List? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

Mike Trout has once again been putting together a solid fantasy season. In the first half, he has hit 18 home runs, racked up 54 runs and 44 RBI, and maintained a respectable .263 batting average. The perennial All-Star was recently nominated once again by fans to start in the upcoming Midsummer Classic, to boot. 

Unfortunately, Trout will not be playing for the American League in Seattle. On July 3, the center fielder suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand fouling off a pitch. The typical timetable for recovery is four to eight weeks.

How long will Mike Trout be out? The difference between one and two months is the difference between having him help you to the fantasy playoffs and not having him available until the fantasy playoffs. Let's take a look.

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Mike Trout Injury Update

Playing against the Padres on Monday night, Trout fouled off a pitch in the seventh inning and immediately shook his left hand out, clearly in pain. After calling time and taking a half-hearted practice swing, he motioned to the dugout that he needed to come out of the game.

The Angels placed Trout on the 10-day injured list the following day after he was diagnosed with a left hamate bone fracture. He underwent surgery to have the broken bone removed on Wednesday and is expected to be out until the end of August.

Mike Trout Fantasy Baseball Outlook

With a vague timeline for recovery that could lead into the final month of the season, fantasy managers are likely wondering if we will see Trout again at all before 2024. The alternative to surgery would be six weeks of immobilization followed by a month or more of physical therapy. Such a plan would definitely shut Trout down for the rest of the year, so the fact that Trout opted for the more aggressive path to recovery indicates he wants to rejoin his teammates before the season ends.

Whether Trout plays or not may depend on the performance of his teammates in his absence. Right now the Angels are 6.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West and 3.5 games behind the second wild card spot. Barring any setbacks in his recovery, we should Trout return for the final push toward the postseason if the team can stay in contention without their star slugger.

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