ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The player the Los Angeles Angels can least afford to lose to injury will be out for at least a month and possibly more after star center fielder Mike Trout was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb Monday.
Trout, considered the best all-around player in baseball, jammed the thumb into the second-base bag on a head-first slide in the fifth inning of Sunday's game at Miami. Initial X-rays were negative for fractures, but an MRI test Monday revealed the severity of the injury.
"At this point in time, surgery is an option," general manager Billy Eppler said before Monday night's game against Atlanta. "He'll be out for more than a couple of weeks, I can tell you that."
Trout, 25, was scheduled to meet with Dr. Steven Shin on Monday evening to determine a course of action. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons had surgery for a similar injury last season and missed five weeks. Trout could also rest and rehabilitate the wrist.
Eppler said surgery would not sideline Trout for the rest of the season, but it would knock him out for five to eight weeks and would torpedo the team's already slim hopes of making the playoffs.
Trout, who has twice been selected the American League's most valuable player and finished second in MVP voting in his other three years, was having his best season, batting .337 with an AL-leading .461 on-base percentage, .742 slugging percentage and 1.203 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He ranks second in the league with 16 home runs and has 36 RBIs.
Even with Trout, the Angels entered Monday ranked 14th in the league in OPS (.692) and tied for ninth in runs (213) and batting average (.236).
"It's really hard to quantify his loss, but I think you'll feel the impact, and it will require multiple people stepping up in his absence," Eppler said. "This team will continue to fight, as it always does, but you're losing the heart of your order, the middle of your defense, and a leader in the dugout, so it's something to absorb."
The Angels recalled utility player Eric Young Jr. from triple-A Salt Lake to replace Trout, who was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career and had not missed more than five consecutive games before a left-hamstring injury slowed him earlier this month.
If Trout does undergo surgery, "it's something that has a very high success rate," Eppler said. "What determines it is ultimately is the comfort of the player. You don't push people into an operating room, you don't pull people out of an operating room. This is their career, and it has to be a decision that is well thought out."
Trout actually remained in Sunday's game for another half-inning after hurting his thumb, and the injury did not initially appear that serious. But Trout's size (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) and speed probably contributed to the severity of the injury.
Asked if he was surprised by the diagnosis, Eppler said, "Yeah, but at end of the day, this is a big, fast, strong human being, and he's moving at a lot more force than I could going into a bag. The speed and the impact would contribute to that."
Sliding head-first is far more dangerous than feet-first, exposing players to hand, wrist and finger injuries, but Trout has always had excellent body control and has been one of the best in baseball at timing and executing his head-first slides.
Both Eppler and manager Mike Scioscia said they would be reluctant to force Trout to scrap his head-first slides in favor of feet-first slides.
"I've seen many, many players preferring to slide head-first, especially the fast guys," Eppler said. "I think it's really hard when something is instinctual. We talk about feet-first sliding in minor leagues, but at end of the day, a player has to do what's comfortable."
