Mike Trout reports steady hamstring rehab progress, targets All-Star readiness

Mike Trout’s rehab from a right hamstring strain is moving forward on a schedule that, while not yet locked to a specific return date, is at least trending in the right direction for the Angels’ biggest offensive catalyst. Before Friday night’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics, Trout progressed to jogging on the field without pain, a key milestone for a player whose availability often shapes how Los Angeles builds its lineup and in-game strategy.

According to the Angels’ update on Trout’s progress, he plans to start swinging the bat on Saturday. The next step matters because hamstring injuries can linger well beyond the first period of rest, and the transition from straight-line or limited movement to bat speed and follow-through is typically where teams look for lingering discomfort or altered mechanics. Trout has been working through light on-field activity earlier in the week and has said he has been pleased with how the work has felt.

Trout’s injury dates to June 18, when the hamstring strain occurred while he was running to first base in Arizona. The Angels have not offered a specific timetable for a full return, and the update emphasizes hope rather than certainty. Even with the encouraging progression to jogging and the stated plan to begin swinging next, the club’s medical and performance staff still appears to be working from symptom response and day-to-day readiness rather than a set calendar target.

The reason the next few workouts carry extra weight is the calendar event Trout is aiming for: the MLB All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia. Trout was named a finalist in the All-Star balloting update released on Thursday and was reported as the second-leading vote-getter among American League outfielders. That type of fan support does not guarantee anything medically, but it does indicate that his name remains in the centerpiece role the All-Star process requires.

For the Angels, Trout’s return would have implications beyond the individual storyline. When he is in the lineup, Los Angeles gains a consistent presence in the middle of the batting order and an elite option in center field, changing the defensive and offensive balance the team can play with on a night-to-night basis. When he is limited or missing, the Angels typically have to redistribute responsibilities across the outfield and adjust how they manage at-bats from game to game.

Against that backdrop, Trout’s latest rehab checkpoint is also a message about how the Angels expect his body to respond as he moves from lower-intensity work to baseball-specific movements. The update does not close the door on setbacks, but the stated lack of pain during jogging and the planned progression to swinging suggest the early risk flags have not materialized the way they can with hamstring issues.