Angels News: An encouraging Mike Trout update, top prospect impresses in his debut

The Angels definitely needed some good news for their ailing and underperforming outfield, and they certainly got it with a pair of developments on Saturday as the club faced off against the Baltimore Orioles. A week and a half ago, an audible gasp could be heard throughout Orange County as a routine ground ball turned into a potential calamity. In the most Angels' fashion ever, the team's most important player, Mike Trout, came up lame trying to leg out an infield hit.

The most commonly written words in a situation like this are "Trout," "injury," and "setback." However, Saturday's update was all good news, as Trout has been swinging a bat with no issues. He's not out of the woods yet; he'll start running soon, but if all goes well, there's a pathway for an imminent return.

Of course, the injury would come in Trout's 29th game of the season, his total games played before succumbing to a serious knee injury last season. This time, it would again be the same surgically repaired knee that was injured, and an overwhelming sense of dread consumed the Halo faithful.

The initial reports were that there was no structural damage, just a bone bruise, though Angels fans have heard this story before. Something seemingly minor becomes increasingly more concerning as setback after setback has mostly kept the future Hall of Famer out of action, averaging just 66.5 games played the past four seasons.

This year was supposed to be different -- the club finally took a step to keep its foundational player healthy. The hope was, a move to right field with occasional DH days would keep him both healthy and productive. Through 29 games this season, Trout displayed his usual Trout power, but nothing else as his strikeouts skyrocketed, his walks plummeted, and his non-homer batted balls found their way into defenders' gloves.

Still, time usually wins out, and Trout getting more runway to get his feet back under him after spending so much time on the shelf should have only brought an uptick in production.

Top Prospect Matthew Lugo has a dazzling moment in his Angels start, filling in for the injured Trout

Matthew Lugo wasn't the Angels' first choice to replace Trout. The 24-year-old outfielder was initially passed over for a promotion amid his struggles at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he batted just .212/.292/.364.

The initial opportunity instead went to Gustavo Campero, a diminutive 27-year-old switch-hitter who had been raking in the minors. Campero's shot didn't last long, however, as he landed on the injured list with an ankle injury that looked more gruesome than it really was.

That unfortunate injury cleared a pathway for Lugo, who, while not as highly regarded as some of the other prospects in the Angels system, has consistently produced prior to this year and has the tools to be a productive big leaguer.

After debuting as a pinch runner in Friday's tilt against the Orioles, Lugo earned his first start in the second game of the series and helped put the Angels comfortably ahead when he launched a triple 399 feet to deep center, scoring Kyren Paris. The ball was smoked 101.8 miles per hour off the bat and showed off some of the skills that make Lugo such an intriguing hitter.

Coming over from Boston last season alongside Ryan Zeferjahn in one of the most lopsided (in their favor) trades in recent Angels' history, Lugo's big league run will likely come to a quick end, given the encouraging Trout update.

However, while he's given this opportunity, he could force the issue and make a case to stay. Despite hitting three homers in his last five games, Jo Adell has struggled overall with an OPS of just .617 on the season. Ditto for Taylor Ward, who has two homers in his last five contests and eight dingers on the year, but is batting just .174 with a .594 OPS.

Meanwhile, a hot performance from Lugo might convince the Angels that it's time to end the Tim Anderson experiment, as the veteran infielder is hitting just about as well as he did last year in Miami, with a 28 wRC+, just one point better than last year's putrid performance.

Lugo could then take over as the fourth outfielder, with Kyren Paris getting a chance to work through his issues at a more comfortable infield position. Of course, that would involve one or both of these youngsters riding the bench more than you'd like, so the likely scenario is that Lugo goes back down once Trout returns... for now.

With that said, a hot streak from Lugo could put pressure on Jo Adell, who is in a make-or-break year to determine his future. It could also motivate the team to move Ward at the trade deadline, assuming he finds his groove by then.

In the meantime, we get to enjoy a glimpse at a promising young player who has a very good shot of factoring into the outfield equation in an important way in the future.

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