PHOENIX — Angels center fielder Mike Trout is showing more signs of his All-Star form, which should bode well in the likely event he is selected to the American League squad for the July 14 All-Star Game.
Trout entered Tuesday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a six-game hitting streak, including an opposite-field home run that was part of a 2-for-3 performance in Monday’s 4-3 loss.
“I’ve always told myself, when I’m going good, I’m hitting the ball the opposite way,” said Trout, who has hit three of his 16 home runs to right or right center this season. “When I’m pulling off things and not driving the ball to right, it’s when something’s really off. So it’s good to see that.”
Another encouraging aspect was that Trout was clocked at 30.1 feet per second while running to first base, an impressive time that the three-time AL MVP attributed to maintaining the preparation that has enabled him to play in all but one of the Angels’ first 74 games after several injury-plagued seasons.
Being selected to the All-Star Game would hold special significance for Trout since the game will be played in Philadelphia, 45 minutes south of his hometown in Millville, N.J.
“When I saw (a few years ago) it was (going to be) in Philadelphia, I want to try to get there,” said Trout, an 11-time All-Star who was second among AL outfielders when the first Phase 1 voting update was revealed on Monday. “So to be up there in the voting means a lot. Hopefully I get it.”
BACK SOON?
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez was grateful that it wasn’t an arm injury that necessitated his placement on the 15-day injured list on Monday.
Rodriguez, who experienced lower back stiffness and left Sunday’s start after 2⅓ innings, resumed playing catch Tuesday and said he would continue to throw as long as tolerated.
“I had it (back stiffness) a little bit in the prior starts,” said Rodriguez, who said he isn’t worried about the severity of his stiffness. “It just got to a point where it was just too difficult to throw.”
Rodriguez, acquired from Baltimore in the offseason trade for outfielder Taylor Ward, missed the first 7½ weeks of the regular season because of right shoulder inflammation.
CLASS OF 2021
Recently promoted reliever Brett Kerry became the fourth member of the Angels’ 20-player 2021 draft class – which was entirely pitchers – to reach the major leagues.
“We actually had a really good group of guys, they were all fantastic,” Kerry recalled. “Our first (Instructional League) was really good, it was a ton of fun bonding with the guys, and then a bunch of us actually got to go to Double-A in our first season in 2022, so it was almost like that core unit of us was able to kind of work together that first year and kind of experience minor league baseball.”
Kerry joins relievers Sam Bachman (first round) and Chase Silseth (11th) on the Angels’ active roster. Second-round pick Ky Bush made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 and is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.
BABY STEPS
Right-handed reliever Ben Joyce threw a bullpen session at the Angels’ Tempe complex and felt fine, according to Manager Kurt Suzuki.
“We’ll see how he feels (Wednesday) to determine what the next steps are,” Suzuki said of Joyce, whose rehab assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga was halted after four appearances in April. “But I like the fact that he’s throwing bullpens, and he’s feeling good.”
Joyce underwent shoulder surgery last season. …
Infielder Vaughn Grissom (left oblique strain) went 2 for 5 in his first rehab game for Rancho Cucamonga on Monday and was transferred to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Suzuki said Grissom, who was placed on the IL on June 5, will play various infield positions before the Angels deem him ready because of his layoff to let his oblique heal.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Sam Aldegheri, 2-1, 2.12 ERA) at Diamondbacks (LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 5-2, 2.55 ERA), Wednesday, 12:40 p.m. PT, ABTV, 830 AM