Mike Trout is back on the Angels’ active roster, and the corresponding move sent veteran infielder Donovan Walton into roster limbo.
Los Angeles activated Trout from the injured list Wednesday, just days before the three-time MVP is scheduled to play in the All-Star Game. Trout, 34, has been out since June 17 with a strained right hamstring, but his timing lines up neatly with a trip to Philadelphia for the July 14 showcase. That game is being played in the closest MLB city to his hometown of Millville, New Jersey.
Trout was already voted in as the American League starter, and he remains the Angels’ lone representative on the AL roster for now, though that could still change if last-minute injury replacements are needed. He’s an 11-time All-Star, and the return comes with the kind of timing that matters.
"It's going to be great," Trout said Sunday. "Looking forward to it. Lots of friends and family."
Before the injury, Trout was doing plenty of damage at the plate. He carried a .394 on-base percentage, good for fifth in the American League, while his 66 walks ranked third. His .866 OPS and 54 runs also put him inside the league’s top 10.
Walton, meanwhile, was the odd man out. The 32-year-old infielder was hitting .319/.354/.505 in 32 games this season, a line that included a 141 OPS+ and made him one of the more unexpected bright spots on the roster. But that production stood well above his career track record, which included a 46 OPS+ in time with the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants from 2019-25.
Even with that surge, the Angels chose to move on after Walton’s pinch-hit double in his most recent plate appearance on July 5 against the Boston Red Sox. He saw time at second base, third base and designated hitter during his stint with the club.
Trout had been slashing .234/.394/.472 as the Angels’ center fielder, on pace for a 6-WAR season according to Baseball Reference. While he was sidelined, Jose Siri and Josh Lowe handled center field duties. Siri, a right-handed hitter, and Lowe, a lefty, both remain on the 26-man roster for now.
Siri has carried the stronger defensive reputation in center, and his bat has held up better in the sample so far, with a .782 OPS and 118 OPS+ compared with Lowe’s .617 OPS and 73 OPS+. Lowe has spent more of his career in the corner outfield spots and figures to move back there with Trout returning.
Siri is expected to see time at all three outfield positions, with the Angels leaning on his offense while it stays hot. Both players also bring enough speed to serve as pinch-running options off the bench.
The Angels now have seven days to trade Walton, place him on waivers, or outright him to the minor leagues.
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