Trout is just 2 home runs away from his 400th at Angel Stadium, having hit his 200th home run.

On July 27, Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout achieved his 1,000th career RBI with a two-run homer, and he is now approaching another impressive milestone.

In today's game, where the Angels lost 4-5 to the Rays, Trout hit a three-run homer in the third inning against right-hander Shane Baz, bringing his career home run total to 398. He is now just 2 home runs away from becoming the second active player to reach 400, with only Giancarlo Stanton having achieved this milestone with 439 home runs.

“I’ve definitely been thinking about it,” Trout said. “But for me, the most important thing is whether I can trust my training in the batting cage and translate that into performance in games. Then, the 400 home runs will come naturally.”

As a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, Trout also reached his 200th home run milestone at Angel Stadium, becoming the 27th player in MLB history to hit at least 200 home runs at the same ballpark. He is also the only player to have 200 home runs and 100 stolen bases at the same venue.

“Clearly, he’s getting close to those milestones, which is fantastic. But the only thing he cares about is winning,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “Personal achievements, he’ll definitely put those aside for the sake of victory.”

Trout struck out in his first at-bat but responded strongly with a game-tying home run in his second at-bat. Baz threw a 3-2 curveball located at the bottom of the strike zone, which Trout hit out, traveling an estimated 433 feet to left field according to Statcast. This was the veteran's 20th home run of the season and his 10th season with at least 20 homers.

“I felt much better in my last few at-bats,” Trout said. “I was just trying to pull the ball. My training in the batting cage has been great; I’m just working to translate it into games. I was getting stuck in my lower half and opening up too early. So it’s just a matter of trusting my training process.”

Trout will turn 34 tomorrow, and his performance this season has not yet reached his usual standards. Since injuring his surgically repaired left knee while stepping on first base on April 30, he has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee. He missed a full month and returned on May 30, but since then, he has been limited to the designated hitter role.

Before this season, Trout moved from center field to right field. He made two attempts to do pre-game outfield drills in hopes of returning to a defensive position, but both were cut short due to discomfort. He still hopes to return to the outfield at some point this season, but he will continue to serve as the team’s regular designated hitter until his knee feels good enough.

Trout showcased his speed with an infield hit in the eighth inning, reaching a sprint speed of 29.7 feet per second, his second-fastest sprint time of the season. Unfortunately, despite the Angels loading the bases with no outs, they failed to score in that inning.

“I felt a bit better,” Trout said. “Sometimes I have to sprint all out. I was trying to get a hit right from the start of that inning. But we gave ourselves a chance and just didn’t execute.”

With Trout unable to play in the outfield, the Angels recalled Bryce Teodosio on Saturday to serve as the team’s regular center fielder, allowing Jo Adell to move back to right field. Teodosio demonstrated his defensive skills with a spectacular leaping catch in center field in the third inning, robbing Yandy Díaz of a hit.

Before his injury, Trout showed enough power, hitting 9 home runs in 29 games. Since his return, his batting average and walk rate have increased, but his power numbers have declined.

Before the bone bruise, Trout's batting line was .179/.264/.462. Since returning to the lineup, he has posted a batting line of .272/.412/.475 over 58 games, with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. The 87 games he has played this year is his highest since 2022, when he played 119 games and reached the 40-homer milestone. In 2023, he was limited to 82 games due to a wrist fracture, and in 2024, he played just 29 games due to a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Trout is expected to reach the 400 home run milestone during the three-game series against the division-leading Tigers this weekend. If he doesn’t achieve it then, the Angels will host their rivals, the Dodgers, from Monday to Wednesday next week before heading on the road for a three-game series against the Athletics.

“I’m looking forward to that moment,” Trout said. “It should be really cool.”