Mike Trout, on the injured list after sustaining a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee, said Friday that he's "feeling a lot better" and is hopeful of returning to the Angels' lineup as soon as eligible.

Trout says he is confident that this injury won’t be as severe as previous injuries because he’s already feeling better and there’s no structural damage in his knee.

Last year, Trout tore the meniscus in his left knee on April 29, and Trout thought he'd return in six-to-eight weeks. He aggravated the injury in his first minor league rehabilitation game in July and sat out the rest of the season.