Mike Trout to miss Angels-Cubs series at Wrigley Field

Cubs fans will have to wait ’til next time to see baseball’s biggest star, Mike Trout, at Wrigley Field. Before the series opener Tuesday, the Angels announced that Trout stayed back in Los Angeles to nurse his strained right groin. He’s expected to be re-evaluated Sunday.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said it’s disappointing that Trout won’t be competing.

“I always prefer beating the other team at full strength,” he said after the Cubs beat the Angels 5-1. “Probably the biggest disappointment would be for the fans who were looking forward to that opportunity [to watch him]. He’s a different talent, he’s a generational talent, and it’s too bad.”

So when will Trout be back? It depends, but with the way the interleague schedule rotates, it might be another six years.

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But not to worry. Maddon believes Trout, 27, a career .308 hitter who has 245 homers and 660 RBI over nine seasons, could continue playing this well for another six years as long as he stays healthy.

“He’s just a different cat,” Maddon said. “He has that motor that he’s there every day and he doesn’t just show up and mail it in — he plays every day. I’m a big admirer.”

Maddon said it’s a fair to call Trout, a two-time American League MVP and four-time runner-up, the greatest player in the game. He even thinks MLB could insert Trout as the player silhouette in its logo, like the NBA used Jerry West.

“He’s that good,” Maddon said. “I’ve done this for a couple years, and I’ve seen some guys a cut above, and he is. Like Barry Bonds, the same way . . . Ken Griffey Jr. . . . Trout, his whole game is just different. He’s a game-changer on so many different levels.”