Angels star Mike Trout, sidelined since Sunday with what's been described as a "small strain" in his right calf, is expecting to return to LA's lineup Thursday.
“I feel good,” Trout told reporters before Wednesday’s 11-2 loss to the Astros (via the Orange County Register). “I feel fine. Just being cautious. I think I’ll be available to hit tonight, and I should be fine to play tomorrow.”
Angels manager Brad Ausmus wouldn't be quite as definitive Wednesday.
“We’re going to get him evaluated again when the doctors get in here, and hopefully he’ll be able to go tomorrow full bore,” Ausmus told reporters. “But I can’t swear to that.”
Trout left Sunday's game against the Mariners after the second inning and underwent an MRI exam Monday that showed a small strain in his right calf, the team announced. He has been listed as day-to-day since.
Mike Trout underwent an MRI this afternoon that revealed a small strain of his right calf. He remains day-to-day.
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 16, 2019
"Calves are tough," he said of treating the issue with caution. "You want it to be one or two days and not six weeks."
Trout, 27, has an AL-best 30 home runs as well as 73 RBIs while slashing .306/.456/.668 in building a case to win his third MVP award. He entered Sunday's game on a tear, even by his elevated standards: He was hitting .429 with eight homers and 18 RBIs over his last seven games.
Mike Trout of the @Angels has 8 HR & 18 RBI over his last 7 games including today.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) July 14, 2019
He's the 6th player in AL history to reach those numbers over a 7-game span, along with Babe Ruth (1930), Hank Greenberg (1938), Don Mattingly (1987), Manny Ramirez (1998) & Josh Hamilton (2012).
The Angels are 50-47 after Wednesday's loss to the Astros. Los Angeles, which closes a four-game set against Houston (60-37) on Thursday, is 5 1/2 games out of the second AL wild card and 10 games back of the first-place Astros in the AL West.
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