Angels move Mike Trout to right field in an effort to preserve his health

Jeff Fletcher, The Orange County Register on Feb 17, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TEMPE, Ariz. — When former manager Joe Maddon publicly broached the idea of Mike Trout moving to a corner outfield spot at the start of spring training three years ago, Trout quickly quashed that idea by insisting that he was a center fielder.

The harsh reality that has hit Trout in the years since makes it a different conversation this time.

Trout said on Monday morning that he’s now the Angels’ right fielder, a move that he willingly makes in response to years of injuries.

“Look at my last couple years,” Trout said before the Angels’ first full-squad workout of the spring. “Trying to preserve my legs and go run some balls down in right. That’s what we came to and I’m with it.”

Trout, 33, spent most of his career as the best player in the spot, a fixture in center field for the Angels. His combination of speed and power helped him to three MVP awards and a ticket to the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible.

But much of the last four years have been a nightmare. He missed most of the 2021 season with a calf injury, half of the 2023 season with a broken hand and most of 2024 with two separate tears of his meniscus.

Because of that, the Angels began preparing for a new position for Trout in conversations last year, and they made it official in a face-to-face meeting with manager Ron Washington and general manager Perry Minasian after Trout reported on Sunday.

“It went great,” Trout said of the meeting. “Kind of just threw everything on the table, as in what’s best for me, body-wise, to keep me on the field. Came to the conclusion that I’m going to go to right field. I like it. Try it out. See where it goes.”

While the Angels had alluded to this decision last year, they didn’t acquire a center fielder over the winter. That leaves them with Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak to man the position.

Moniak, 26, has played 184 of his 254 big league games in center field. Adell, 26, has only played 15 of his 295 games in center.

Adell had been a defensive liability in the outfield until last year, when his work led to an eye-opening improvement. He was a finalist for the Gold Glove in right field.

Offensively, Adell and Moniak both started slowly and finished strong.

Washington said the Angels would evaluate both players during the spring to see what the best fit is for center field.

Washington said the Angels decided to move Trout to right, instead of left, because right field is smaller at Angel Stadium.

“Mike is a pro,” Washington said. “He’s going to do whatever it takes that’s going to help us be a better team and that we can help keep him healthy … I didn’t expect anything else. Mike is a pro.”

He also said the Angels have no concerns about Trout’s arm, as long as he plays aggressively in right.

“We talked to him about that and told him, don’t lose his aggressiveness,” Washington said. “With his aggressiveness, because of Mike Trout, I think his name will stop people if he’s aggressive. If he play tentative, they gonna run on Mike Trout and anybody else that’s out there.

Trout said he may still occasionally play center, and he’ll also get some time at DH. He is also likely to get days off anytime he needs them.

“If I come in and feel something or feel sore, if I need a day off, I think it’s just open communication with Wash and the front office and the coaches,” Trout said. “I’m good with that.”

The Angels will try just about anything to get back some semblance of the player who used to be good for 30-plus homers and an OPS over 1.000 every year.

Even when he played around the injuries in 2023 and 2024, the numbers weren’t up to Trout’s standard. He hit .252 with an .860 OPS in 111 games in the past two years.

To that end, Trout is looking to do more than simply remain in the lineup. He said the Angels showed him some video while he was hurt last year and it illuminated to him the way his swing had changed. He said the change affected his swing decisions, so he was chasing more pitches out of the zone, and not walking as much.

“It was a move I was doing that over time I created,” Trout said. “It was a bad habit. Just trying to get back to where I was when I was getting on base and having a good strike zone.”

Trout also said he’s lost “a little bit” of weight and now he feels “a little lighter. I feel faster. That was one of my goals coming into spring.”

If Trout can turn back the clock and be the player he was a few years ago, it would be a huge boost for the Angels. It would also remind the rest of baseball what he once was.

Trout said he took notice of a recent MLB Network ranking that listed him as the 39th best player in the sport.

“I saw that,” Trout said with a smile. “They’re going off the last couple years. I haven’t been out there. That’s their ranking. I know where I stand.”

Trout said he still views himself as one of the best players in the game, and now has even more motivation to get back there.

“Stuff like that fires you up a little bit.”

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