TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout hit his first homer of spring training on Wednesday, a solo shot over the left-field wall as the Los Angeles Angels star tries to bounce back from several injury-filled seasons.
The 33-year-old went deep in the third inning off Cincinnati reliever Bryan Shaw. Trout was the designated hitter and plans to play a majority of his games in right field, moving from center in an attempt to preserve his health.
Trout played just 29 games last season and had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
He missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained right calf, and was out between July 12 and Aug. 19 in 2022 because of an injury to his upper back and ribcage. Trout broke the hamate bone in his left hand when he fouled off a pitch on July 3, 2023, missing all but one game after July 3.
Trout’s last MVP season came in 2019 when he hit .291 with 45 homers and 104 RBIs. He has a .299 career average with 378 homers over 14 seasons with the Angels.
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