Mike Trout explains why he chose not to play through his knee injury

July 30, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) following the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is done for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, but he actually had the chance to keep playing.

Trout said he had the option of putting off surgery until the offseason and trying to play through the knee problem. However, he would have been limited to DH duties, was already in a lot of pain, and risked making the injury worse.

“It was an option they put out there,” Trout said, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “It would have been just maintaining the pain level of it. The day I got the MRI and it showed that, I was in a lot of pain, so it would have been a tough road for the rest of the year to bear that. I felt the best option for me was to get it right and be fully healthy to come back soon.”

To be blunt, the Angels probably are not contenders this year. With that in mind, combined with the pain he was in, Trout’s decision to simply undergo the surgery now makes total sense. It also means he will have a better chance of being fully healed and ready to go for the start of the 2025 season.

Trout’s reveal means some recent comments by one ESPN personality look even sillier now.