Even though he isn’t at the height of his powers anymore, it’s always a big deal for the Angels to get superstar center fielder Mike Trout back from the injured list. But for Trout, this particular return means so much more.
Trout was selected for his 12th All-Star Game while he was on the injured list with a hamstring strain. With this year’s game held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which is just a short drive from Trout’s hometown, it was a goal for Trout to return in time to play in the All-Star Game close to home in front of his friends and family.
The Angels announced Trout’s return from the injured list ahead of their 13-1 win against the Rangers on Wednesday.
Trout went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in his return to the lineup as the designated hitter. His homer in the eighth inning traveled 438 feet and went 110.6 mph off the bat to extend the blowout to 11-0 at the time.
Trout is hitting .234 with a .874 OPS and 18 home runs.
Despite a low batting average and elevated strikeout rate (24.8 K% before returning), his power and patience at the plate are still elite, only chasing out of the strike zone 19.3% of the time while having a 21.0% barrel rate.
Part of Trout’s productivity this season has been a product of better results against velocity.
The scouting report has been no secret in recent years for him, as he’s struggled against high velocity. But this season, Trout is hitting .302 and only swinging and missing at 16.9% of fastballs 95 mph or faster.
Although he was selected to the All-Star Game from 2021 to 2023, this will be Trout’s first time playing in the Midsummer Classic since 2019 due to injuries.
As for the game, the bats exploded thanks to a few standout performances.
Jo Adell set a new career high with five RBIs with a pair of homers.
Vaughn Grissom went 4-for-5 with three singles and a double and drove in four runs. It’s his second four-hit game in his career and the first since his rookie season in 2022.
Wednesday was the first time the Angels had multiple players drive in four or more runs since they had four do it in the 25-1 win against the Rockies on June 24, 2023 (Brandon Drury, David Fletcher, Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfroe).
Zach Neto had three hits, with all three coming with two strikes. His second double of the game set a season-best 109.7 mph exit velocity for Neto. He scored all three times he came to the plate.
Right-hander Walber Ureña had a complicated outing, pitching four scoreless innings and only allowing one hit, but he walked five batters and threw a strike 58% of the time with a measly 41% zone rate.
Ureña now has a 2.94 ERA in 15 starts since returning to the big leagues as a starter in mid-April, but it comes with a well-below-average 12.7% walk rate.
The Angels snap a seven-game losing streak and are now 37-56.
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