OC Register: Mike Trout, Tyler Skaggs limited by injuries, but neither added to Angels’ DL

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Two more Angels are dealing with injuries, and they only happen to be the best player and the starting pitcher who has performed the best.

On the bright side, neither was significant enough to merit a trip to the disabled list.

Mike Trout, who was to play the 1,000th game of his career on Thursday, has a sprained right index finger, which will not keep him out of the lineup but will keep him out of center field. Trout said it only hurts when he tries to throw, so he was the lineup at DH on Thursday night, his second straight game at that spot.

Tyler Skaggs was scratched from Thursday’s scheduled start with right hamstring tightness. The Angels had an extra day from Wednesday’s off day, so they simply moved the other pitchers up a day. John Lamb took Thursday’s start. Andrew Heaney and Jaime Barría will start on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday’s starter undetermined.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Skaggs felt some tightness a few days ago while working out.

“We want to err on the side of caution to get him where he wouldn’t be at risk,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully in a couple more days we’ll look to see when he can get back out there.”

Because Skaggs hasn’t appeared since last Friday, the Angels could easily have put him on the 10-day disabled list if he was going to miss as few as the next seven days. The fact that they didn’t do that indicates they believe there’s a chance he’ll be able to pitch in the next week.

As for Trout, he said he started to feel some discomfort throwing over the weekend in Oakland. He played center field on Monday, but then he told trainers it was bothering him.

“When I throw, it’s pretty painful,” he said.

Trout said it doesn’t bother him at all when he’s hitting, so he will continue to do that. He will be re-evaluated each day.

“I’m just grinding right now,” Trout said. “I’m trying to play through it and get it right.”

MORE INJURY UPDATES

Chris Young, who came out of Tuesday’s game with a hamstring injury, was apparently well enough on Thursday that he did not need to go on the disabled list.

Young was not starting, though. The Angels recalled Michael Hermosillo and he started and played center field. Hermosillo took the roster spot of Jake Jewell, who had been optioned after Tuesday’s game.

Garrett Richards (strained hamstring) has begun playing catch and he’s still undergoing treatment, but he “still has work to do,” Scioscia said.

Nick Tropeano (shoulder) is “scheduled to pick up a ball this weekend sometime,” Scioscia said.

Zack Cozart (shoulder) has been hitting off a tee. Jefry Marte (wrist) has also been given clearance to swing. René Rivera (knee surgery) took batting practice on the field on Friday, but he hasn’t squatted yet.

MOVING UP

Griffin Canning, a product of UCLA and Santa Margarita High, was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A, his second promotion in the first three months of his first professional season.

Canning, the Angels’ second-round pick last year, has a 1.66 ERA between Class-A Inland Empire and Double-A Mobile. He has started two combined no-hitters.

Canning did not pitch in the minors last season because the Angels wanted to limit his workload after his college season.

UP NEXT

Angels (Andrew Heaney, 3-5, 3.64) vs. Blue Jays (Marco Estrada, 4-6, 4.66), Friday, 7 p.m., Fox Sports West, KLAA (830 AM)

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