Angels centerfield Mike Trout hasn’t made an official decision on if he will return to play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

There is still no definitive answer yet on if Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels centerfielder, will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Trout, who is a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, was the captain for Team USA in 2023.

During the 2023 tournament, Trout slashed .296/.406/.556 with a .962 OPS, one home run and seven RBIs in seven games, as Team Japan beat Team USA in the finals.

This past April, Trout said he expects to be a part of Team USA again.

“I want to and I expect to, for sure,” Trout said. “There’s a lot of unfinished business, no doubt. I think the overall hype of what it brought to baseball and to guys across the league, guys reaching out to me, to guys that were on the team, the experience was unbelievable.”

Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa, during MLB’s Winter Meetings, said he and Mike had been in communication.

“We’re talking to him, we’re talking to a couple other players, and trying to figure out what Mike wants to do,” DeRosa said.

I really need Mike Trout on this WBC team pic.twitter.com/QIYoFSgHab

— Payton Tolle Enthusiast (@TolleEnthusiast) January 26, 2026

If Trout doesn’t play in the WBC, his injury history could be a reason why. In order to play in the WBC, players must receive insurance so that the team won’t have to pay the contract if a player were to miss time due to injury. However, players who spent significant time on the injured list or have a “chronic condition” are less likely to have their contracts insured.

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Trout spent time on the injured list every season since 2017, besides the shortened 2020 COVID season. Some of these injuries have caused Trout to miss significant time as 2022 and 2025 are the only two seasons in this decade where he has played at least 100 games.

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros second baseman, Astros third baseman Carlos Correa, and Miguel Rojas, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop, are unable to play in the WBC due to insurance.

Team USA has six open spots left on the roster who will be announced on MLB Network on Feb. 5.