Stephen A. Smith calls Angels star Mike Trout’s injury ‘karma’ in shocking rant

Said Smith, “What the hell are you doing to take care of yourself? Always injured. I mean, damn, it’s baseball. What are we talking about here? It’s not football. It’s not boxing. It’s not the UFC…”

Smith also suggested that the injury is a form of punishment for Trout.

“Maybe it’s karma for him that he stayed with the Angels. Maybe it’s karma for him that he signed with that damned moribund franchise. Maybe you should’ve went someplace else where you’re going to be relevant, and that way you’re going to be incentivized to stay healthy.”

There is a glimmer of hope, however. The procedure is not expected to be season-ending. The baseball-watching world will eagerly wait on a recovery timeline and wish this future Hall of Famer the best of luck on his road back to the Angels’ lineup. Trout is currently tied with Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson for the MLB lead in home runs with 10.

This injury setback follows a comeback win for the Angels, who rallied from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. A chaotic sequence in the seventh inning allowed LA to grab the lead, as a wild pitch and subsequent wild throw resulted in both Ehire Adrianza and Trout scoring.

The three-time American League MVP ran from second base to home plate to record what was ultimately the difference-making run in the game. And believe it or not, he had already suffered the injury at that point. Trout does not recall when the tear exactly occurred but felt some pain at the end of the third inning. He thought little of it and was able to press ahead with no limitations.

However, Trout started dealing with discomfort late in the game. His fears only grew when he underwent treatment postgame and were eventually confirmed by the Angels on Tuesday.

Angels stick with Mike Trout

Since joining the Angels in 2011, Trout has seen the playoffs once, getting swept out of the ALDS in 2014. But rather than look for something new, Trout is determined to prove that he is still capable of leading the Angels to greatness.

When Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball fans began to wonder if Trout would request a trade away from the Angels. He rebuffed those rumors and has remained devoted to Los Angeles. Current and former teammates of Trout, including Jared Weaver, know how badly Trout wants to win. For all the growing pains LA has endured, Weaver believes Trout is in it for the long haul with the Angels.

“He signed here, he knew what he was getting into, and he wants to stay here,” Weaver said of Trout. “Like he said, it would mean even more to win here after people are saying he should leave. ‘We want to see you somewhere else.’ Well that’s not what he wants. He wants to stay here; I think people should respect that. It’s going to make it even better when they do start winning and win something to be a, ‘I told you so,’ situation.”

But now Trout will see another season cut short due to injury.