Angels' Mike Trout Day-to-Day with Hand Injury After HBP; X-Rays Negative

Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout left Sunday's game after being hit on the left hand by a pitch, according to Sam Blum of The Athletic.

The team announced that X-rays on the injury were negative and Trout will be considered day-to-day. 

Trout, 30, saw his 2021 season derailed by injury. He hit .333 with eight homers and 18 RBI through the first 36 games before suffering a right calf strain that ended his campaign.

When healthy, the three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star remains arguably the game's brightest star. In 53 games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, he had 17 homers and 46 RBI. Before that, he hit 27 or more homers in eight straight seasons and exceeded 40 homers twice.

So it came as no surprise when Trout signed a record-setting 12-year, $426.5 million deal in 2019.

Coming into the 2021 season, the idea was that an offense headlined by Trout, ascendant superstar Shohei Ohtani and third baseman Anthony Rendon would put the Angels in a position to succeed. But with Trout and Rendon each missing a huge chunk of the season, those hopes were dashed.

With an improved pitching staff led by free-agent acquisition Noah Syndergaard, the team has similar expectations for 2022.

There is no replacing Trout while he is injured, but Brandon Marsh should fill in in the meantime.