Mike Trout Prefers To Return To Center Field

""I told him I'll play anywhere but obviously prefer center. It was good communication with him and Perry and they're on board with it." Suzuki said that Trout will also continue to see work in the corners during Spring Training but sounded broadly open to giving him significant playing time up the middle. "We'll keep our options open, but he does prefer center, so we'll take a look," the manager told reporters."

"That was the impetus for moving Trout off center field a year ago. The Angels felt the position was putting too much physical stress and contributing to his unfortunate series of injuries. Trout didn't play a single inning up the middle last season. He moved to right field and started 22 games before sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee. He missed most of May and was a full-time designated hitter for the remainder of the season."

"Trout disagreed with the premise that right field was any less of a physical burden. "Honestly, I felt like when I was in center, it was less on my body," he said today. "Right field felt like I was running a lot. It's just a preference thing. Talking to some other outfielders, they feel the same way sometimes, that center is less on your legs."

Mike Trout hopes to return to center field as his primary position this season, and general manager Perry Minasian and manager Kurt Suzuki are supportive. Suzuki indicated Trout will also receive corner outfield reps during Spring Training while the team evaluates his ability to handle significant work up the middle. The club moved Trout off center last year to reduce physical stress after repeated injuries; he played right field, suffered a bone bruise in his left knee, missed most of May, and served mainly as designated hitter thereafter. Trout said he often feels center is less taxing on his body than right field.

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