This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM – The Angels head into the second half with some momentum after taking three out of four against the first-place Mariners last weekend, and have played better baseball recently with a 20-17 record going back to June 3.

The Angels have a 41-55 record, but dealt with injuries to key veterans such as Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo, Robert Stephenson and Patrick Sandoval. They had to rely on a young roster led by catcher Logan O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel, while also counting on inexperienced outfielders Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak.

Their young pitchers didn't seem to build on recent seasons, as lefty Reid Detmers is in the Minor Leagues, along with right-hander Chase Silseth, who has dealt with elbow issues this season. Veteran lefty Tyler Anderson was the club’s lone All-Star, though Rengifo, O’Hoppe and closer Carlos Estévez all had strong first halves. Right-hander José Soriano also looks like a potential building block, while flamethrower Ben Joyce looks the part of a potential future closer.

Manager Ron Washington has been pleased by his club’s progress, as he believes they are growing, and that learning to win is part of the process. He believes Rendon and Trout should help ease the burden of the youngsters in the second half and that the goal is finish strong to head into next year with some optimism.

“I feel like we’re about ready to take off,” Washington said. “They have been experiencing quite a bit that they haven't experienced. We’ve got four or five guys [who] have never played a full baseball season, and so that’s an experience in itself. I'm very pleased with our growth. It may not show in the records, and I keep saying that, but for anyone who has paid attention to us from the beginning and knew what those kids had to endure when our big guys went down, to me, they’ve given it everything they got.”

One second-half goal: Continue to develop young players
The Angels are trying to build a solid foundation for the future around young players such as O’Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel and Joyce. But they need fellow youngsters such as Detmers, Silseth and Sam Bachman to step up at the big league level. They also need to see how outfielders Adell and Moniak perform the rest of the way to determine their future roles.

Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Sell
The Angels are clear sellers for the first time in several years and should move a few of the veterans before the July 30 Trade Deadline. Closer Carlos Estévez, an impending free agent, is the most likely trade candidate and has been on quite a roll. They also could look to move veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar and any of their veteran relievers such as Hunter Strickland, Luis García or Matt Moore. But they have more difficult decisions with All-Star lefty Tyler Anderson, left fielder Taylor Ward and infielder Luis Rengifo, as they are all under contract beyond this season. But if the Angels get a deal to their liking, it could make sense to add some prospects to their young core.

Key player: CF Mike Trout
Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, has been out since April 29 with a torn meniscus in his left knee, but is on track to return in late July. He’s been doing some light running on the field and is close to taking batting practice. It’s been a long recovery for Trout, who has seen the injuries pile up in recent years. But he’s itching to get back and prove he’s still one of the game’s best players. He was showing plenty of power and speed before getting hurt with 10 homers and six stolen bases in 29 games, but had an uncharacteristic .220 batting average. Trout, who will turn 33 on Aug. 7, remains under contract through 2030, so a big second half could propel him to big things in the coming years.

Prospect to watch: RHP Caden Dana
Dana, the club’s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 90 overall, is having a breakout season at Double-A Rocket City. The 20-year-old has posted a 2.99 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 31 walks in 90 1/3 innings despite being more than four and a half years younger than his average competition. Dana, who was selected to the All-Star Futures Game and gave up a run in the third inning, is on the club’s radar and could make his Major League debut as early as this season. But either way, he’s established himself as a potential frontline starter, as he has elite pitches.