Angels vs. Tigers Friday MLB injury report, odds: Mike Trout expected to play first game since mid-July

Arguably the two most disappointing teams in the American League this season have been the Angels and Tigers, and they open an all but meaningless three-game series in Detroit on Friday. We probably wouldn't address it in this space but for the fact that three-time AL MVP Mike Trout is set to play in the majors for the first time since July 12. Trout has been dealing with back and ribcage injuries. The Halos are -140 at Caesars Sportsbook. 

If you were wondering, and I was, Trout opened the season as the +450 second favorite to teammate and 2021 winner Shohei Ohtani to win another MVP Award this season, and Trout took the betting lead briefly in mid-May. As late as May 28 he was hitting .320 with 13 homers and 28 RBI, but then started cooling off and lost his spot atop the MVP odds back to Ohtani, who then lost it in mid-June to current favorite Aaron Judge.

Trout's last game was July 12 vs. Houston, and he's hitting .270 on the season with 24 homers and 51 RBI in 79 games. He opened as a +2000 sixth-favorite to lead the majors in homers for the first time but obviously won't be doing that (Judge was a +1400 third favorite).

In late July, it was revealed that Trout was dealing with a rare back condition called costovertebral dysfunction, that it was no sure thing he would return this season and it was something he'd have to deal with the rest of his career, but Trout received better news after meeting with noted spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins a few days later.

He did admit that the condition is something he has to "stay on top of," but when asked if he had any long-term concerns, he said: "No. No. No. No. I think it's a little exaggeration. … I'm not worried about it. It's just one [of those] things, you play, you swing a lot, and things pop up."

As good as Trout is, the Angels are only 32-47 with him in the lineup this year, and they are 34 games under .500 in games he has played since 2019, the year of his most recent MVP. There's only so much one player can do in baseball.

"I'm excited," Trout said of his return. "I'm happy with the progress. It was good for me to take time off and get it out of there. And now I get to play for about a month and a week, so I'm looking forward to it."

Trout, who is two runs scored shy of tying the Angels franchise record (1,024 by Garret Anderson), has never faced second-year Tigers pitcher Matt Manning (0-0, 3.24 ERA). DraftKings lists Trout at +230 to homer tonight, Over 1.5 total bases at -125 and to have an RBI at +115.

One big reason Detroit has been shockingly bad this year is that so many of its starting pitchers have been hurt or had other issues. That includes Manning. He has been limited to five starts and missed nearly four months due to right shoulder and biceps issues.

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