Alright, hold up. Mike Trout just smashed a two-run homer in his first game back from a hamstring injury, helping the Angels rout the Texas Rangers 13-1. A 438-foot shot off a changeup, scoring two more runs. Yeah, you heard that right, a 13-1 win, but before you start thinking anything, remember this: the Angels are still 20 games under .500.
Trout’s Bat is Back, But What Else?
The guy was out a few weeks with that hamstring strain, putting a brief stop to his fantastic season. The fans already voted him into the All-Star Game, so his return is perfectly timed for the Midsummer Classic, I guess. Before hitting the IL, Trout already had a .866 OPS with 17 homers and 36 RBIs. That two-run bomb against Texas cranked him up to 18 homers and 38 RBIs. He went 1-for-4 on the night, scoring two runs, pretty standard Trout stuff.
One Win Can’t Save a Season
This win did snap a seven-game losing streak for the Angels. And look, their offense was brutal without him, only scoring more than three runs once during that whole skid. His return is “huge” for them, no doubt. But let’s be real. They’re still a whopping 4.5 games out of fourth place in the AL West. The source says it plain: they are “as far out of the race as possible” for competing this season. Forget the playoff picture come September, they ain’t seeing it.
So, what’s next for Anaheim? Looks like they’re playing for the future. The Angels can move some players at the August 3 deadline, try to lay a foundation, build for coming years. It’s not about wins for them right now, it’s about what they can get for future success. For us, in the Emerald City, we’re just watching the AL West landscape, and right now, the Angels aren’t shaking anything up.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.
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