Mike Trout wanted to play in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA.
The U.S. squad considered him, too, knowing that the Los Angeles Angels star remains a face of baseball.
In the end, though, Trout didn’t make the team. And when exhibition and tournament action gets underway this week, he won’t be a part of it.
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Why isn’t Mike Trout playing in WBC?
The most straightforward logistical reason that Trout isn’t playing is that he was denied insurance coverage.
The Athletic reported that Trout couldn’t get covered for the tournament due to his injury history.
If he played without the coverage, he’d put his $35 million salary for the season at risk.
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Trout’s recent injuries and decline from his best-player-in-baseball status meant he wasn’t a shoo-in for the roster to begin with. The U.S. had a ton of great outfielders to choose from.
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa did say that Trout was “in the mix” for the roster, so it was at least considered.
Trout also shared that if everything lined up, he wanted to play, according to MLB.com.
But in the end, things didn’t line up well enough. Trout remains in camp with the Angels, looking as healthy as he has in years, but unable to help the United States try to win the 2026 edition of the WBC.
