Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout talks load management in an attempt to stay healthy throughout the year: "I'd rather take a day now than be out"
Mike Trout, a 31-year-old baseball superstar, has had to deal with injuries and trips to the injured list in recent years, which is not uncommon for players as they age. To address this issue, Trout has developed a plan to stay healthy throughout the 2023 season, which includes a load-management strategy.
Load management is a practice commonly used in basketball, where stars take time off during the long and grueling season to prevent injuries and stay fresh for important games. While this approach is not as common in baseball, given the length of the season, it makes sense for Trout to adopt a similar strategy to ensure he can contribute to his team's success and avoid any unnecessary injuries.
"I'd rather take a day now than be out" said Mike Trout regarding his load management.
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I wrote an off day story about off days (specifically, Mike Trout’s off days) #Angels ocregister.com/2023/05/11/ang…
Despite his desire to be in the lineup for every game, Mike Trout has played in 35 out of the 38 total games the Los Angeles Angels have played so far in the 2023 season. He recognizes the importance of his role in the team's success and understands that taking a cautious approach to his workload is necessary to avoid missing significant time due to injuries.
Big comeback for the @Angels, @MikeTrout right in the middle of it. https://t.co/VATh26TxlY
According to Angels manager Phil Nevin, the team's plan for Mike Trout is to give him a day off every ten games to help manage his workload and reduce the risk of injury. This approach should enable Trout to remain healthy and perform at his best throughout the season. If he is successful in avoiding injuries and sticking to this schedule, he should be on track to play 146 games.
Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels need to be competitive all season long
It's no secret that the Los Angeles Angels have largely underperformed. They have two of the best baseball players in the world, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, on the same team but haven't done much with it.
Ohtani is in the final year of his contract. Rumors have swirled that Ohtani would look to play elsewhere if the Angels weren't competitive this season. Losing a player of Ohtani's caliber would be a devastating blow to the team's fans, who have grown accustomed to seeing him play in an Angels uniform.
So far, they've put themselves in a good spot. They are 20-18 to start the season and sit in second place in the American League West. They're just three games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers. Hopefully, they can keep up this level of performance all season long.