The Astros are expected to activate star third baseman Alex Bregman from the injured list on Monday, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter). That should be welcome news for the Houston faithful. The Astros have been without Bregman since June 17th when he suffered a quad strain. He will play what could be a final rehab game for Triple-A Sugar Land tomorrow, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros have held up without Bregman, but with just a 2.5 game lead over the A’s in the West, Dusty Baker’s squad could certainly use another big bat. Speaking of those Athletics…
- Seth Brown wasn’t gone for long. The A’s outfielder was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, but he’s back on the active roster today, replacing Stephen Piscotty, who heads to the 10-day injured list with a sprained left wrist, the team announced. Brown steps right into the starting lineup today playing right field. Piscotty, meanwhile, is suffering through the worst season of his career, slashing .220/.282/.353 in 173 plate appearances — an output worth -0.6 rWAR.
- Mike Trout is running about every other day, and though he’s nearing a rehab assignment, a date has not yet been set, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Angels are exactly .500 at 62-62, which puts them 11 games out of first and 8.5 out of a playoff spot. Trout doesn’t exactly have to hustle back for the playoff race, then, though the Halos do have a chance to finish above .500 for the first time since 2015. Trout has been out since May 18th with a calf strain, though the superstar refers to the injury as a tear.
A strain is a tear.
And Trout’s strain brings tears to all baseball fans
He admitted today that it was a severe tear and not a low grade one (strain)
I believe it was reported as a grade 2 calf strain. There are 3 grades for such tears. A grade 2 calf strain can range from 10% to 90% tear, which is a huge range. There is quite a bit difference in recovery from the lower end and upper end. of this range.
Thank you for that saved me the energy….
It’s semantics and degrees of severity. Strain just sounds less severe than tear.
Trout can retire . Jo Adell is here now.
Not there yet, but I think the ship has sailed on the all time WAR record. He had a shot before the short 2020 and this. No chance now the Babe is safe.
Are you forgetting he had a near 200 wRC before he got hurt?
Nothing with Trout is done
He was borderline on hitting it when he was putting up 10WAR every season. Getting to like 178WAR is insane. I dont think he has another 100WAR on the back side of 30. He also probably wont be able to put up anywhere near the defensive numbers he used to anymore so like 5-8WAR for the next 5 years and then declining from then. If he can stay good into his 40s with the stick and make it long he might still have a chance, but as I said borderline before missing out on almost 2 full seasons of WAR in his prime.
Soooooooooooooo
You are saying that.
Mike Trout has the runs every other day ???
angels need to lose every game the rest of the the season. and extend raisel iglesias.
Best position player in mlb. Angels could easily be in the thick of the pennant chase if he were healthy all season. But…their pitching is woeful.
Its been top 1/3rd since the dumped bundy and Q
The Angels would find a way to screw-up a free lunch.
It’s just so crazy how EVERY time the Angels pass up a FA SP to sign a position player, it works 0% of the time, but they keep doing it.
They’re the Angels: they love to spend, they could have easily outbid the Yankees for Cole (local socal guy), but instead they go with Rendon and look at him now. They already had numerous 3B options they could have gone with instead, but no, just routinely bad GMing and ownership pretty much every year from 2003-present, from a team with basically unlimited resources. Morons at the top = these results, it really isn’t on anyone else there.
An interesting question would be: if the Angels traded Trout and Ohtani, would the players coming back put them immediately into contention? Something to ponder…
As an A’s fan, their incompetence is entertaining on a different level, and much appreciated!
The Angels won the AL West five times between 03-09 and made it to two ALCS, losing to the eventual champion both times, so not sure you wanna go that far back with that assessment…
You have a point, but a lot of those appearances were due to weak scheduling – hence the lack of playoff success in that time frame. They were always phony contenders, making to the playoffs off the strength of schedule and not much else, who would fairly routinely get bounced in the first round 3-0 or 3-1. The only year they actually made it far was 09, and NO ONE was beating NYY that year, I won a lot of money back then betting on NYY for the title on Opening Day haha
More to your point, this also speaks to the Angels front office incompetence – they had a nice window where only the Rangers were even really trying to contend, and they couldn’t even stack the chips as high as they could in their favor, when they had the resources to.
Dog they won the most games in the league, had the highest diff and were clearly the top team. They also held the annual and historical series with the yankees for the whole decade every year. These facts are straight up mistruths.
The truth is Arte commited too much money to Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton and the Angels had some tragedy with Adenhart, Skaggs which were both their top SP propsects at the time.
Since the team dumped Q and Bundy their pitching has been awesome. Rendon had a single injury all year (hip) and there isnt much chronic history to think itll continue post surgery. If he and trout return next year, this team is fine and has very controlled core (Trout, Ohtani, Rendon, Sandoval, Fletcher, Walsh, Adell, Detmers, Stassi Canning).
A’s fans alwasy seem mad because the modern teams always seem to fall apart in any fall games.
Wilson was 15 million a year and was not a bust by any stretch of the imagination. Pujols led to a huge TV deal. I know for a fact Moreno would do that deal again.
And everyone knows signing an addict that needed constant supervision was a huge mistake.
“ You have a point, but a lot of those appearances were due to weak scheduling – hence the lack of playoff success in that time frame. ”
They went the the LCS twice in a 6 year window, losing only to the actual champs. They also won a title right outside your idiotic window. Wtf are you saying?
He does not speak for A’s fans. The Angels tragedies at the SP are enough to give their front office a pass. You cannot project drunk drivers or drug addiction.
Strength of schedule is a joke since every team in the AL West plays each other.
I don’t want to rip the A’s. I don’t want to initiate a troll post. But I will fight back. I’m not ashamed to be an Angel fan, but I’d be ashamed of the Angels if they brought in Marte and I’d be more than ashamed if people in power knew about Fentanyl use. Knowing what I know about Arte, I’d bet my house he had no idea.
Cole was never going to sign with the Angels, he always intended to sign with the Yankees. And by the way, the incompetence of the A’s ownership in figuring out the long running stadium issue is laughable.
I agree! It’s literally been requested by MLB since 2006 and its taken THIS LONG to get it done! I’m not a homer so dump on the A’s all you want, they are run by one of the worst ownerships ever and Moneyball was really about Beane consistently making John Fisher richer while Fisher gave him less money to spend, which is not how pro sports team owners are supposed to do business – its basically brutalist-capitalist propaganda.
Still the coolest team and we make the playoffs all the time, unlike your fave team HAHA
#firstroundexit
I’m not a homer either but grew up an Angel fan back in the Autry days and moved away years ago but have always been a fan. I have been to a number of A’s games through the years and the stadium experience is horrible even when they are winning because it communicates that Fisher just doesn’t care and there is nothing cool about it. On the other hand, I went to a CWS game this year in Chicago and it was a great stadium experience. Cool stadium, cool players, great passionate fans, and even though they have a crusty old manager that can’t complete a sentence, way cooler than the A’s.
Anyone who has the handle Chalk73 is ok by me.
The A’s have a player that was about to be suspended for cheating and the replace him by a player that was suspended for cheating….what a class organization!!!
Haha. And the Angels were liable in the death of one of their players. Another class org.
No they weren’t. Nice try. Moreno got rid of Hudler because he got caught with pot. They got rid of Hamilton because he admitted he was snorting coke.
They had no idea what was going on with Skaggs and a low level employee, none. Your comment is ignorant and hollow.
Beane knew one of his players was about to be suspended for cheating, and knew Marte was suspended for cheating.
“Low Level Employee?” He was the Director of Communications dude. Plus I’m not defending the A’s; baseball as a whole is filled with cheating. Just don’t throw stones from a glass condo.
He was a low level employee. Keep digging. The words are hollow and ignorant..
He was 24 and with the team for three years.. Nice try..
I wish I could edit my last post. He has been the director for three years and is a 24 year employee.
No one else was indicted and since Moreno has shown he has zero tolerance for drugs, I doubt he knew a thing about it.
But if you have evidence the court doesn’t have, I’d love to read it.
Everyone in authority knew the A’s were about to lose a player for PED use and everyone knew they brought in a cheater to replace a cheater.
So a senior employee with the org for over 20 years killed one of his own players. Got it.
And again, I’m just stating facts. Baseball is overflowing with cheaters; inclusive of the hypocritical A’s.
This narrative is so niave.
It was two bros doing drugs together, it happens in every clubhouse, this one just ended unlucky. He didnt represent “the team”. it was two co workers in different departments of about the same age partying. If he had been dealing to a bunch of players, maybe its systemic, but sure seems like it was an unfortunate out come that their drugs contained more fentynol than they realized.
They are going to trial in October. He’s the only one indicted.
All Angel fans know it’s a hollow accusation. Just like every baseball fan knows the A’s brought in a cheater to replace a cheater.
To be fair everybody and their mother knew Hamilton had a drug problem the day Arte inked him
@Cap & Crunch Not true. Most people were aware of Hamilton’s previous drug issue, but most believed he was sober. If you think Arte would commit so much money to him known he had a drug issue and got rid of him because of the same drug issue, then you are dumber than you look.
Yea, your probably right, Arte’s a Saint
Is this what Angel fans are really clutching their pearls about these days?
Nah. Just pointing out the stupidity of you post.
lol!
Hahahahaha. They should trade the two best hitters in baseball, one who also has 100 innings thrown at TOR levels
And That will make them better!
You trade trout and Ohtani and no one comes to the stadium. Baseballs a business. Not just about championship. it’s about selling merchandise tickets and TV deals during the year.
there are no opt outs in the contract
It’s silly to think of Trout as a victim (oppressed) of anything and blaming his agent as the oppressor. Get a life, I’m sure Trout is enjoying his and doesn’t need sympathy from you.
It does not
Moreno has signed more top free agents in the last 5 years than pretty much any other club, maybe sans SD. You act like Moreno spends like the Royals owners..
If Moreno finally gets a baseball mind who can keep him at check, Moreno has shown time and again he’ll spend to try to win. The question is will he listen to his baseball guys, not if he will spend
No
Playing in a WS or not has absolutely no baring on a rational assessment of Trout’s talent level. None. As good as he is, he’s one player out of 25. He’s the best player in baseball.
Trout is still a great player, but he is nowhere near as productive as he was from 2012-2016 when his lack of durability and performance decline (fielding and base running) are factored. He is roughly 60-70% as productive as he was from 2012-2016. 2017 was the beginning of the decline- he bounced back in 2018, but other than that, it has been downhill since 2016, The smart thing to do would have been to try to trade him when the writing was on the wall (2019- beginning of 2021) but most of MLB was still delusional, thinking that he was still in his prime. Probably too late for that, at this point- the rest of MLB has surely finally caught on to that by this point.. If the ultimate goal was to win championships, then he definitely should have been traded (at least they should have tried). If it is about having a homegrown superstar for his entire career, regardless of the cost, then that’s a different story.
Downhill since ‘16? Injuries aside, what stats are you looking at? He’s been arguably getting better and better.
Staying on the field is a big aspect of production. He has absolutely not been getting better and better and his best days are long gone at this point.
2017: Missed 25% of the season (and his fielding wasn’t good)
2018: Bounce back season (as mentioned before)
2019: Great production (still not as good as his best years). Missed 20% of the season, fielding was average at best, SB fell off a cliff.
2020: Played at a 162 game rate of 6 WAR (nowhere near as good as his best seasons), no base stealing, horrible fielding (really, really bad).
2021: Out for the season before reaching the 40th game, no base stealing, bad fielding.
He’s now a bad CF who can’t stay healthy and who no longer steals bases. He’s a shell of the player he was 2012-2016.
you wrote much for nothing. nuthing
A lot of any decline in production has to be attributed to pitching around him. The dude seriously never gets a pitch in his wheelhouse unless its a bad mistake.
I disagree that his fielding was “really, really bad.”
He was one of the worst outfielders in MLB last year, Guess you think he is still in his prime… The only thing that isn’t dramatically worse now compared with 5 years ago in terms of his durability, base stealing, fielding, and batting is his batting. He’s a shell of the player he was 5 years ago. And of course ‘pitching around him’ has nothing to do with durability, fielding, or base stealing.
Angel fans don’t want truth Eric….give them a rally monkey, a Beer garden in the OF, some recognizable names on the back of the jerseys, and some narrative that there players are great guys off the field and they are happy
Trout is still amazing but 100% he is not in his prime anymore like you demonstrated – Looks like the legs are giving first . I would trade him as well If I got a big package and he signed off (he should w this org)
Right. Only thing now is that the return wouldn’t be nearly as good as before his current injury- now the rest of MLB definitely sees the situation for what it is, no way they are still missing it at this point..
What’s the point in bringing him back this season? He is now on the wrong side of 30, and like Kershaw his best days are well behind him.
If it wasn’t for his enormous contract the Angels would trade him to a contender and re-build around Ohtani while he’s early in his prime.
There were a few guys who were HOF greats who never played in a world series. Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins are two. Lets not get carried away here, Trout’s career is only half over. Anything can happen.
Trout would have to win a playoff game first to reach the WS.
He’s definitely the best player to never win a postseason game.
A’s are barely ahead of Seattle now. Astros are AL-W champs again.