Angels star centerfielder Mike Trout was already early favorite for AL MVP last Sunday when he suffered his first significant injury in his MLB career. In a game against the Miami Marlins, Trout slid into second head first and jammed his Thumb on the base. The result was worse than initially thought as Trout had torn the UCL in his thumb which will require surgery.

As mentioned previously, this is his first time missing a period of time due to an injury. He had never been on the disabled list before in his seven-year career. Since 2013, Trout had averaged playing 158 games out of 162 a year and has been a full-time major league player since 2012.

He is now preparing for a 6-8 week stint off the field for surgery and rehab.

Trout was putting up MVP numbers early

Trout is only 25 and so far, he has won two American League MVP awards, Rookie of the Year in 2012, and finished in second in the MVP voting in 2013 and 2015. This year, it looked like he was a favorite to win his third MVP award as he continued to play lights out and lead the league in a number of offensive categories.

Trout led the AL in on-base percentage (.461), on-base + slugging (1.203) and Wins Above Replacement (3.5) while second in homers (16) and fourth in batting average (.337). These great numbers came as no surprise among those familiar with the game of baseball and those who knew his track record and previous accomplishments in his still-young career.

In fact (as of 5/31), Trout was still the leader in All Star Game votes in the American League.

Trout's abscense hurts fans

Whether an Angels fan or not, being deprived of Trout's talent is a shame for all fans.

This is especially true for fantasy baseball owners as he is ranked as the number one valued player in most fantasy outlets including Yahoo sports. Those who got the top pick and took Trout are in a bit of a pickle right now considering his top-tier production is out for over a month. It is not easy to fill a void like that and could be costly to some owners with money on the line.

The other obvious group that stands out affected by this injury are the Los Angeles Angels fans themselves. The team has had some rough seasons the past few years, missing the postseason six of the last seven years and Trout was the biggest bright spot. Now that he is gone, the team definitely suffers. Though Albert Pujols is on the verge of hitting his 600th home run, it still makes the Angels less exciting for the fans overall.

Season outlook

The other question remains, when Trout does come back from the DL, will the injury be lingering over the rest of the season? Will he be able to swing the bat the same without feeling any continued discomfort? It is a question only time will answer, but it is still a worrisome scenario for people to think about.

Now that he is out of the equation for some time, the AL MVP chances are open to other players such as Yankees slugger, Aaron Judge who is putting up similar offensive numbers to Trout. Fans cannot rule out the possibility of another player catching fire and making a case.
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