Mike Trout home run daily: 44 special

Today’s Mike Trout home run is almost his most recent, hit last September. Of his 288 career home runs — 285 during the regular season, one in the playoffs, and two in All-Star Game play — this one was Trout’s 287th.

The Angels were starting a road trip in Oakland on September 3, 2019, a Tuesday night game against the Athletics. Mike Fiers started for Oakland, a few months before he would become a household name, and Trout took him deep in the first inning.

Trout hit the first pitch well over the scoreboard in left field for his 44th home run of the season.

Trout in his career against Fiers is 10-for-29 with four home runs, four doubles, and six walks, hitting .345/.457/.897.

This was his penultimate home run of 2019, not that anyone knew it at the time. There were still over three weeks left in the season, but only four days later would be Trout’s last game of 2019, succumbing to a foot injury that would require surgery about a week later.

Trout finished with 45 home runs last year, though he missed the final 19 games of the year, costing him a shot at Troy Glaus’ club record 47 homers in a season, set in 2000.