MINNEAPOLIS _ The best-case scenario in which Mike Trout could have rehabbed quickly enough to play in the All-Star Game is now off the table.
The Angels made it official on Monday, releasing a statement that Trout would be unable to play in next Tuesday's All-Star Game because he'll still be rehabbing from surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb.
"I know it's disappointing to Mike, because he really enjoys it, but we all have priorities, and his first priority is to get healthy and get ready to play," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "The timing isn't going to work. It is what it is."
That also means that Trout won't be back in the Angels lineup for this week's final games before the break.
It's not a surprise, because Trout still hasn't played in any minor league rehab games, but it appeared he had an outside shot at being ready this week, if all went perfectly with his rehab.
After the club issued the statement Monday, Scioscia said it simply wasn't worth rushing Trout.
"Mike has made some remarkable strides in his rehab," Scioscia said. "He should be ready to play in rehab games sometime later this week. Trying to cram and get ready for an All-Star Game, although it's a great honor and something he enjoys, is not the way you go about a rehab scenario."
Trout was elected to start the All-Star Game for the fifth time. It's his sixth overall selection.
Major League Baseball does not necessarily need to pick another Angels player to the All-Star team, to serve as the club's representative, since Trout still counts as an All-Star.
Andrelton Simmons, Martin Maldonado and Blake Parker can all make reasonable cases to be All-Stars, if MLB opts to pick another Angels player.
Trout was scheduled to work out Tuesday with Class-A Inland Empire and begin playing in games as soon as he's able. Scioscia said Trout would need "five or six" games.
Given that timetable, the soonest Trout could rejoin the Angels would be after the All-Star break.
"We're not going to put any timetable on this until he gets into rehab games and we see how he comes out of it and has no setbacks," Scioscia said.
