ANAHEIM — This time, Mike Trout means it.
After Trout hit his 400th career home run on Saturday night, a moment of celebration amid a frustrating season, he said that he had finally figured out a “solution” to the issue with his swing this year.
On Tuesday, Trout acknowledged that he has said that before, only to drop back into a slump.
“Before, it was like a Band-Aid, to make it work,” Trout said. “I think this is more of a solution this time. To be able to confidently know what I’m doing, and be able to get to a spot and start early and be on time every single time, I think it’s something to build on in the offseason.”
Trout, 34, is a three-time league MVP and a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer. This season, despite playing more games than he had since 2019, he posted some of the worst numbers of his career. Trout is hitting .229 with 22 homers and a .772 OPS. His 32% strikeout rate is the highest of his career.
Trout has explained throughout the season that the problem has been a mechanical issue that caused his head to move in such a way that he didn’t have two eyes on the ball.
Trout said his mechanics in the cage were good, but when he would get into the game, he would revert to what was causing the problem, and he couldn’t see the ball as well as he needs to see it.
As an example, Trout described an at-bat last week in Milwaukee.
“It was a sinker and I thought it was down and in, and then I look at the video and it’s middle away,” Trout said.
He added that all the times he’s looked passive at the plate were not because that was his approach. It was because he wasn’t seeing the ball.
“There’s a lot of times this year where I would take a fastball down the middle, early in the count,” Trout said. “I was up there swinging. Just wasn’t able to pull the trigger. Then I get to two strikes and it’s like I’m playing defense when I should be playing offense. It was just a different feel this year for me.”
Although Trout has maintained all season that it was this mechanical issue, and not a problem with his vision, on Tuesday he flat-out insisted that he’s sure his eyes are fine.
“My eyes are good,” he said.
The last week of the season will be a key test to see if Trout really has found a “solution” and not another “Band-Aid.” Even though the games don’t matter for the standings, if Trout can have a big week it would provide some confirmation that he’s truly discovered what he needs to do this winter to return to some semblance of the player he was.
“I know what I need to work, and I can master it,” Trout said.
Trout said he’s also going to change his two-strike approach.
“Whether it’s lowering the leg kick or just trying to be a lot earlier,” Trout said. “In the past, I just choked up, just made the bat a little shorter. But I think in this offseason, maybe just think of something or talk to the guys and figure out a way. Obviously, striking out sucks. Definitely one of my goals for for next year is to cut down the strikeouts.”
Trout, who has five years and about $180 million left on his contract, said he’d also like to return to the outfield next year. He’s been limited to DH ever since he returned from a bone bruise in his left knee in late May.
“DH-ing sucks,” Trout said. “I’m not on the field. Definitely going to go into this offseason trying to strengthen the knee and get the lower half back to normal. … I definitely want to be out there as much as I can next year.”
SIGH OF RELIEF
Left-hander Reid Detmers revealed that he does not need surgery on his elbow. Detmers was placed on the injured list after the Angels’ previous home game, on Sept. 10. Since then, he’d undergone tests, but the team never released the results and Detmers was not available to talk to the media until Tuesday.
“I’m good,” Detmers said. “No structural issues. So no (Tommy John surgery). It’s just gonna be a normal offseason. We’re doing rehab stuff every day. I’ll be ready for spring training. I’m not too worried about it.”
Detmers said his preference would be to return to the rotation next year. Right-hander José Soriano and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi are the only two pitchers who are locked into the 2026 rotation.
“All I’ve ever known is starting,” Detmers said. “I would like to start again. I think taking from what I learned this year about my mentality and stuff like that, I think I can transfer that over to starting and have a good year starting. But at the same time, it’s up to them. I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do, like I said at the beginning of the year. Anything that helps the team win.”
NOTES
Right-hander Robert Stephenson (elbow inflammation) said he’s still awaiting more information after undergoing tests. …
Catcher Travis d’Arnaud (concussion) is doing better, according to interim manager Ray Montgomery. “With these things, day to day you don’t know how you’re going to feel,” Montgomery said. “Talking to him upstairs just now, (he’s) a lot better than when I had talked to him initially.” …
Shortstop Zach Neto (strained left wrist) returned to the team after being away for the final week of the trip. He said he’s not sure when the strain occurred, or if it was a lingering injury from when he was hit by a pitch on Aug. 20. He said he’ll be fine by spring training.
UP NEXT
Royals (RHP Stephen Kolek, 5-6, 3.54 ERA) at Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 6-11, 4.05 ERA), Tuesday, 6:38 p.m., FDSN West, 830 AM