Trout hopes to return for finale vs. Astros
ANAHEIM -- Angels center fielder Mike Trout said he expects to rejoin the lineup on Thursday against the Astros after missing three games with a right calf strain, including Wednesday’s game at Angel Stadium.
Trout met with team doctors on Wednesday to get a better sense of the calf strain, which caused him to exit Sunday’s game against the Mariners in the third inning. Trout took batting practice for a third straight day but has yet to test it while running. Trout, though, could return as a designated hitter on Thursday against left-hander Wade Miley, giving a break to the left-handed-hitting Shohei Ohtani.
"I feel good,” Trout said. “I feel fine. Just being cautious. I should be fine to play tomorrow."
Angels manager Brad Ausmus, who was suspended from Wednesday’s game for his role in Noe Ramirez hitting Jake Marisnick with a pitch on Tuesday, explained that Trout’s injury was something that began a few weeks back on July 7.
"He said he first felt it on the Sunday before the All-Star break when we were playing in Houston, during that long back-and-forth game,” Ausmus said. “The next day, he felt fine. He went to Cleveland in the All-Star game, didn't really do much. Felt it a little I think in BP on Tuesday. Nothing alarming. Just noticed it. It reappeared, I guess, when we started playing games again.”
Cozart undergoes surgery
Infielder Zack Cozart underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday. Cozart had surgery to repair his left labrum in his shoulder last year, and this operation cleaned up the damaged tissues in his shoulder.
Cozart, 33, hit .124/.178/.144 with two doubles and seven RBIs in 38 games before going on the injured list on May 28. He remains under contract through next season after signing a three-year deal worth $38 million in 2017. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training.
“I texted with Coz,” Ausmus said. “He feels good. I feel like they may have found the issue and hopefully resolved it. We'll know more on him as time passes."
Lucroy undergoes nose procedure
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy had a non-invasive operation to repair his fractured nose on Tuesday and was doing better on Wednesday. Lucroy, who suffered the fracture and concussion in a collision with Marisnick on July 7, is expected to miss roughly three more weeks.
“I texted with him yesterday, and he was in good spirits,” Ausmus said. “It went smoothly. Was all positive."
Bard recalled, Bour optioned
Reliever Luke Bard was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake and first baseman Justin Bour was optioned to Triple-A to make room for him on the roster. The right-hander allowed three runs on three hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings in Wednesday’s 11-2 defeat.
The Angels needed another reliever because of their overworked bullpen, while Bour was the causality with rookie Matt Thaiss remaining on the Major League roster instead. Since returning from a month-long stint at Triple-A, Bour hit .227/.271/.545 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 15 games dating back to June 11.
"It's not something we wanted to do,” Ausmus said. “We would like to have Bour on the team. He's a great part of the team, a great teammate. A good left-handed bat option. But we just needed a pitcher. From a flexibility standpoint, a guy like Thaiss can play multiple positions, first and third, and JB is a first baseman. We also have Albert [Pujols] as a first baseman. We really were kind of backed into a corner."