Mike Trout’s fears turned into reality in his rehab return. The occasion was beautiful, he was back in Salt Lake Bees a decade after being called up. Fans were looking on with interest to see their favorite star return to the plate. For two innings things looked good but then surprisingly, Trout was called back. And that was the end of King Fish’s day. His return was cut short due to his knee. 

Ever since he tore his meniscus early in the season, Trout has been struggling with its recovery. Despite the expected timeline being a little over a month-long, the Los Angeles Angels star has found himself stuck in a three-month ordeal. The reason? Knee soreness. The star was forced to leave the field after two innings for that reason again. But while Trout has been struggling with knee soreness, he gave no hints of it before the game.

“I’m 100% right now,” Trout said before the game per The Salt Lake Tribune. However, he did mention how he had been struggling to deal with the issue before. “Just getting exercises I could do to get strength and not being sore the next day – that’s the biggest thing,” Trout said. According to him, there have been days when he had to stop training because his knee couldn’t recover from the previous day’s workout. That is a highly concerning situation, especially because he is already behind his schedule.

For a player like Mike Trout, recovery is an extremely important thing. He is the one player who runs aggressively around the bases. While during his early days that was one of his most dangerous qualities, now it has become a cause of concern. The aggressive style increases the risk of injuries and for Trout that is an issue. After all, he hasn’t played more than 120 games in a season since 2019.

As a result, his two-inning stint (1 at-bat where he struck out and three flyball catches) left the fans wanting more. Even more importantly, it turned his nostalgic return to the Salt Lake Bees into a tragic affair.

Mike Trout’s Chick-fil-A treat for Minor League teammates

Traditionally whenever an All-Star player stops at a Minor League team, he buys a meal or some gift for the players. While usually it is a kind of feast that a minor league player can’t afford, Mike Trout decided to be a little different. The Angels star bought Chick-fil-A for his teammates as lunch. Later they had steaks and other things after the game. For Trout, this return to Salt Lake Bees was filled with nostalgia.

The last time he had played here was in 2012 – much before his three MVPs and worldwide fame. “Brings back a lot of good memories,” Mike Trout said about the team. “I just like hitting here. The fans are great. It’s a beautiful ballpark. The field looks in great shape.” Certainly, for Trout, it was a nice homecoming. But then, his latest injury setback turned that experience sour.

With each passing day, Trout’s troubles are increasing. Though the star being back on the field is an encouraging sign, one can’t deny that his body has become fragile. Can he find a way to recover? Or are these troubles here to stay? Let us know in the comments.