Joe Maddon 'Would Be Very Surprised' If Mike Trout Returns from Injury in 2021

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout may not return this season.

Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters Wednesday he "would be very surprised" if Trout returned from his calf strain during the 2021 campaign, although nothing has been officially decided.

Trout has missed significant time this season with the calf injury, which he told reporters in August was "one of the hardest things I've been through in my career."

The 30-year-old suffered the injury during a May victory over Cleveland, and the ensuing time missed was something of an anomaly for his career. Prior to the shortened 2020 campaign in which he played 53 of a possible 60 games, he appeared in 134 or more games seven times in an eight-year span from 2012 through 2019.

When healthy, Trout is one of the best players in all of baseball.

He is a three-time American League MVP, eight-time Silver Slugger and nine-time All-Star who anchors the Angels lineup and defense from his center-field spot.

Los Angeles is out of realistic playoff contention at 70-74, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the team will not rush him back down the stretch this season.