Angels' Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon expected to be ready for spring training after lockout, per report

Injuries limited Trout and Rendon to combined 94 games in 2021

Whenever this year's spring training begins, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon will be ready to help the Los Angeles Angels. Both players are fully recovered from their 2021 injuries and will be full participants in spring training, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Of course, the owner-initiated lockout must end before spring training can begin.

Trout, 30, suffered a right calf injury last May 17 and did not play the rest of the season. He was his usual productive self before the injury (.333/.466/.624 in 36 games), but calf injuries are tricky and can be slow to heal, and the injury ultimately ended Trout's age 29 season. Trout is "100 percent" recovered, his agent, Craig Landis, told DiGiovanna.

Interesting enough, the Angels discussed moving Trout to left field last summer in an effort to keep him healthy following the calf injury. Top prospect Brandon Marsh had a promising rookie season and is a splendid defender in center field. Even with players of Trout's caliber, it is not at all uncommon for center fielders to shift to a corner in the second half of their careers.

"You would think giving him less ground to cover might be wise," Angels manager Joe Maddon told J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register last July. "So we'll see how that plays out. I've already broached the subject with him. His thought was originally that he was going to be OK once his leg feels fine but we'll wait and see."  

As for Rendon, the 31-year-old was limited to 58 largely unproductive games (.240/.329/.382) by groin, knee, hamstring, and hip injuries last season. He had season-ending hip impingement surgery in August and should be a "full-go" when the lockout ends, DiGiovanna hears. The Angels lost 31 of their final 52 games without Trout and Rendon last year.

A healthy Trout and Rendon would form a fearsome middle of the lineup with reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The postseason field is likely to be expanded as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, either to 12 teams or 14 teams, which would be welcome news for an Angels team that has reached the postseason only once in Trout's 10 full seasons.

The Angels added Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen to their rotation prior to the lockout, and they re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias as well. The club still needs a shortstop -- their current shortstop options are Jack Mayfield and Yankees castoffs Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez -- plus more pitching. A reliable innings-eater would fit the rotation well.

It should be noted Angels owner Arte Moreno was among the four owners to vote against MLB's proposal to raise the competitive balance tax threshold from $210 million to $220 million last week. The Angels are not shy about handing out huge contracts, but because they've stayed under the threshold in recent years, they've had a hard time building a quality supporting cast around Trout.

The Angels still owe Trout just under $320 million through 2030. Rendon is owed $188 million through 2026. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Halos currently have $186 million on the books for competitive balance tax purposes in 2022. Payroll has been in the $180 million to $200 million range just about every year since 2014.

Spring training will begin soon after MLB and the MLBPA agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. The two sides are scheduled to meet next on Sunday. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already canceled the first two series of the regular season.