ANAHEIM -- Left fielder Cameron Maybin departed the Angels' 4-3 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday after suffering a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee in the bottom of the first inning at Angel Stadium. The Angels expect him to miss two to four weeks.
Maybin led off the inning with an infield single and then attempted to steal second base, but he injured the knee while sliding feet-first into the bag. Maybin said he slowed down as he approached second because he thought he heard contact and tried to look for the ball. Once he realized there was no contact, Maybin tried to go into a late slide, but his right leg got caught underneath his body, spraining the ligament in his knee.
"As soon as I slid, I felt like a little pop, and I was just kind of uneasy about it," Maybin said. "Just an awkward play."
Maybin, who was called out at second following a replay review, immediately motioned for the team trainer and had to be helped off the field, though he was walking without crutches in the clubhouse after the game.
"It's unfortunate, but I'm glad that the results are probably the best that they could have been," Maybin said. "I'm hoping that it's closer to the two weeks. I'm a pretty quick healer. Just got to be positive and stay mentally ready to get back and continue to help this team out."
Maybin, 30, is batting .238 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 74 games for the Angels this season and has been a key offensive catalyst atop the lineup. Maybin's injury could also have Trade Deadline implications for the Angels, as he had emerged as the club's most valuable trade chip in recent weeks.
Ben Revere, who replaced Maybin in left field on Tuesday, will likely draw the majority of starts at the position in the interim. The Angels also pulled outfielder Shane Robinson from his game with Triple-A Salt Lake, though no official roster move is expected until Wednesday. Robinson had entered Tuesday hitting .464 over his last 15 games at Triple-A.