Angels Call Up Mike Trout

Added on Jul 08, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

With starting center fielder Peter Bourjos hobbled with a bad hamstring, the Los Angeles Angels are calling upon the top prospect in their minor league system to fill the void. Nineteen-year-old Mike Trout was promoted from Double-A Arkansas and will be in uniform for tonight’s game versus Seattle.

The last Angels player with a fishy name turned out okay. Tim Salmon, the 1993 AL Rookie of the year, spent all 15 seasons of his major league career as a Halo, finishing with a .282 average and 299 home runs. The hope is Trout can equal if not exceed those numbers.

Trout is widely considered the most promising talent in the minors. His rare combination of size and speed has Angels management drooling over the possibilities, despite his tender age. At 6’2″, 220 pounds, he was batting .330 with nine homers and 27 RBI in 74 games at Arkansas; he also leads the Texas League with 28 stolen bases.

With Bourjos likely sidelined until after the All-Star break, it’s not known how long Trout will stay with the team. He has yet to make a plate appearance in the Bigs, but did hit .276 during Spring Training.

The Angels are in need of a jolt in their lineup. Howie Kendrick is the only everyday player hitting over .300, and both Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells are below .250 on the season. However, expecting a teenager to step in and tear it up would be premature. The last thing the Angels want to do is damage Trout’s confidence, especially if he struggles against professional pitching.

Trout will be the youngest player to reach the Majors since Arizona’s Josh Upton in 2007. He’ll wear No. 27, which was last worn by Vladimir Guerrero, who won the 2004 AL MVP and earned four All-Star trips with the Angels.

On June 12th, LA was 31-36, five games behind Texas in the AL West. They are now 47-42, one game behind Texas, and winners of eight of their last ten.

Source: ESPN.com