Trout leaving an impression on Angels

The Angels were still talking Wednesday about Mike Trout's two-home run game from the night before.

"I don't believe he's only 20," said pitcher Jerome Williams.  "How the [heck] did he do that? He hit a pitch that was on the ground."

Two of them actually, with Trout reaching out to lift two low breaking pitches from Anthony Vasquez well over the left-field wall. At 20 years and 23 days, he is the youngest player in franchise history to have a multi-homer game.

Trout, the youngest player in the majors, was back in the lineup again Wednesday against reigning Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez.

"He's got an idea in the batter's box," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

More than an idea, apparently, with the Angels winning 14 of 17 games Trout has started.

"He's definitely contributed," Scioscia said.

Meanwhile the Texas Rangers, the team the Angels are chasing in the American League West race, made a couple of moves just hours before the deadline to set playoff rosters, acquiring left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later and picking up catcher Matt Treanor from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations.

In the last month the Rangers have added three premium relievers while the Angels, whose biggest question now is the bullpen according to Scioscia, have stood pat.

"We can't have our time consumed with thinking about what clubs are doing," Scioscia said. "Our team right here still has the opportunity to reach our goals. And that's what we're going to focus on. That's the long and short of it. Right now we're the best team we've been all year. And we'll see where we end when we get through this pennant race."

The lineups:

Angels

SS -- Erick Aybar

2B -- Howie Kendrick

DH -- Bobby Abreu

RF -- Torii Hunter

1B -- Mark Trumbo

3B -- Alberto Callaspo

CF -- Peter Bourjos

LF -- Mike Trout

C -- Jeff Mathis

P -- Dan Haren

Seattle Mariners

DH -- Ichiro Suzuki

CF -- Franklin Gutierrez

2B -- Dustin Ackley

1B -- Mike Carp

C -- Miguel Olivo

3B -- Kyle Seager

RF -- Casper Wells

SS -- Brendan Ryan

LF -- Trayvon Robinson

P -- Felix Hernandez

-- Kevin Baxter reporting from Seattle

 

Mike Trout sent down by Angels to double-A Arkansas

On Sunday,  Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said he expected top prospect Mike Trout to be in an Angels uniform when the team returned home Tuesday.

On Monday, Reagins optioned Trout back to double-A Arkansas.

Reagins and Manager Mike Scioscia didn't hide their uncertainty over what to do with Trout, who is 19 and just two years removed from high school. While they felt he needed to play every day to continue his development, they also recognized the Angels had no one in their farm system who could help the big-league club off the bench as much as Trout could.

Trout was called up July 8 and started  12 games in the outfield, with the Angels going 9-3 in those games. But he seemed overmatched at the plate at times, hitting .163 and striking out 10 times in 43 at-bats.

The Angels will make a corresponding move Tuesday to fill Trout's roster spot.

-- Kevin Baxter in Detroit

Photo: Mike Trout. Credit: Rob Carr / Getty Images.