Mike Trout has spent his entire career at center field for the Los Angeles Angels, but this season he’ll be playing a new position. On Monday, the Angels announced that Trout will transition to right field to minimize injuries after his extensive injury history. “I knew it was coming,” Trout said on Monday via ESPN. “I just wanna be on the field.”
Having played center field for the first 14 years of his career, Trout has thrived when healthy. However, he has only managed 266 appearances out of a possible 648 games in the last four years due to health concerns. Angels manager Ron Washington expressed confidence in the transition, stating that he believes Trout is “gonna be one of the best right fielders in the game.” “We feel like right field – with his talent and ability to move and throw – is a good move for him,” Minasian commented. “It’s a short wall, and with his athletic ability, I think we’re gonna see some highlight plays of him robbing some homers at home.”
“He can play everywhere. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, if we asked Mike Trout to play shortstop, he’d do it. He’s that kind of guy. For us, it’s just about keeping him on the field. That’s no secret. He’s dying to play.” As for Trout, he seems to be on board with the move, saying, “It’s gonna be fun. I’ll enjoy it. Like I told them, I’m gonna go out there and just be as comfortable as I can. If I need to get early work to practice and get more comfortable, I’ll do that.” We’ll have to see how this change works out for both Trout and the Angels this season.
