Angels’ Mike Trout says surgery was better than spending rest of season as DH

ANAHEIM — Six days removed from arthroscopic surgery, Angels outfielder Mike Trout said Thursday there was an alternative to the procedure that will keep him out for an undetermined time.

Talking for the first time post-surgery, Trout said he was given an option not to have surgery for his torn meniscus and dedicate the rest of the season to being a designated hitter. The issue was that the pain-tolerance route offered no assurances that it wouldn’t be a lost season anyway.

“Yeah, there was an alternative,” Trout said in the tunnel outside of the Angels’ clubhouse in advance of their series opener against the Kansas City Royals. “I could play through it and DH the rest of the year, but I didn’t want to do that. I think overall, the decision was to get (the surgery) done and get back on the field as fast as I can.”

In some sense, a Trout at three-quarters speed could be better than no Trout at all for a team that had a 14-23 record going into Thursday’s game. But there were no assurances the three-time American League MVP could even be that good while playing through pain.

“The day I got the MRI and it showed (a tear), I was in a lot of pain so it would have been a tough road for the rest of the year to bear that,” he said. “I felt the best option for me was to get it right and be fully healthy to come back soon.”

It is not considered a season-ending injury, with Trout taking the day-by-day approach for now. He walked to meet a group of assembled reporters without crutches with no visible limp. He did not appear uncomfortable while standing during his interview.

“I mean, just as fast as I can, obviously, but I don’t want to push it,” Trout said, when asked if he had a target date for a return. “I haven’t set a timeline. I try to take the positives of the day into the next day and go from there.”

Earlier in the day, Trout was in attendance for the team’s regular pre-series hitters’ meeting, even though his presence was not required.

“Nobody asked Mike to come to those meetings,” Manager Ron Washington said. “Mike is at the ballpark because he wants to be around his teammates. He wants to be around them to cheer them on. He wants to be around them to hope they can be successful. And any tidbit that he can give to them while he’s here, we welcome him. And that’s why he’s in that room.”

Trout is in his fourth consecutive season with a series injury, ailments that have ranged from a strained calf, a back issue, last year’s broken hand and now the knee injury.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating but you can’t really do much about it,” Trout said before he seemed to address criticisms that he is injury-prone or that he should have demanded a trade in the offseason. “I play the game hard and stuff happens.

“I try to prepare my body and go out there and play every night and give my team 100 percent for the team, the fans, for everybody and stuff just happens. I play the game hard so …”

Trout led the majors with 10 home runs at the time of the injury. He was batting .220 with 14 RBIs and six stolen bases.

ROSTER SHUFFLE

The Angels placed a pair of infielders on the injured list, with Brandon Drury sidelined from a left hamstring strain, while Luis Rengifo continues to feel the effects of a viral infection. Rengifo’s move is retroactive to Monday.

In addition, the Angels claimed first baseman Niko Goodrum off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays and called up infielder Kyren Paris from Double-A Rocket City. The club also moved third baseman Anthony Rendon (hamstring) and right-hander Kelvin Caceres (lat) to the 60-day IL.

Infielder Luis Guillorme, who was placed on the active roster, participated in batting practice and went through infield drills Thursday after his trade from the Atlanta Braves was made official earlier in the day. He was acquired for cash considerations or a player to be named later.

Guillorme, 29, was 3 for 20 with a pair of doubles in nine games with the Braves this season. In parts of seven major league seasons, he is a career .258 hitter with five home runs and 51 RBIs in 343 games and has experience on defense at second base, third base and shortstop.

Paris, 22, was 4 for 40 in 15 games with the Angels last season in his first taste of the major leagues. He was 7 for 77 in 23 games at Rocket City this season.

Goodrum, 32, who was 1 for 16 with the Rays this season, has seven seasons of MLB experience, batting .226 with 42 home runs and 152 RBIs.

KNOW HOW

As needs have arisen in the past few weeks, the Angels have filled spots first with 35-year-old outfielder Kevin Pillar and again Thursday with the nearly 30-year-old Guillorme. Those two bring a combined 19 years of major league experience.

Washington was asked about the club going with veterans from outside of the organization over in-house prospects.

“We got guys that we think can help us hold this together until everyone else come back,” Washington said. “You talk about younger kids … if you look down into the minor leagues, how many of our younger kids are ready to be here? We got a bunch here now and then we’re gonna go get a bunch more? No, we’re just looking at what we can do to hold this together.”

UP NEXT

Royals (RHP Alec Marsh, 3-0, 2.70 ERA) at Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 1-4, 6.69 ERA), Friday, 6:38 p.m., Apple TV+, 830 AM