3 Angels players with a chance to impress following Mike Trout's injury

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The Los Angeles Angels were dealt yet another devastating blow with Mike Trout headed to the Injured List. Trout suffered a hamate fracture and is expected to be out for 4-8 weeks. Without him, the Angels chances of breaking their postseason drought appear as slim as they've been all season.

Trout's injury obviously couldn't have come at much of a worse time with plenty of other Angels players already on the IL and the team already four games behind for the last Wild Card spot.

While the Angels might have some more trouble sneaking into the postseason now, Trout's injury does open up an opportunity for some other players to step up.

1) LA Angels outfielder Jo Adell has a chance to impress following Mike Trout's injury

Jo Adell has been the victim of the Angels having too many outfielders on the roster. With Trout, Taylor Ward, Hunter Renfroe, and Mickey Moniak all ahead of him on the depth chart, Adell has spent most of the season raking in AAA.

I believe Adell has needed the time in AAA to try and improve on things that made him struggle in the majors and now we're going to see if it paid off. He slashed .271/.376/.580 with 23 home runs and 55 RBI in 72 games played in Salt Lake before earning the call-up yesterday. He was tied with Trey Cabbage for the PCL lead in home runs and while he was striking out a lot still, his 40 walks already set a career high.

Adell earned one brief call-up earlier this season when Hunter Renfroe went on the Paternity List and he hit a long home run in his first at-bat. He played just one game but that home run was a big highlight. He pinch-hit last night and lined a 107.5 mph triple to the opposite field and scored on a relatively shallow fly ball.

We all know the tools Adell has and if he can finally put it together, the Angels could have another really exciting player on their hands. More importantly, if Adell can find a way to hit consistently at this level, he can find himself a permanent starting role.

2) LA Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak has a chance to impress following Mike Trout's injury

Mickey Moniak is another young outfielder who feels like he's come into his own this season. He had an excellent spring, was swinging a hot bat in the minors, and has been outstanding since earning his promotion to the majors.

Moniak is slashing .305/.339/.644 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in 35 games. Nine home runs in 35 games would have him at a 41 home run pace for a full 162-game season. Nobody expects that kind of power from Moniak, but it's just showing you how insane he's been in the power department this season.

His ability to hit for power out of the leadoff spot while also playing really good defense at any of the three outfield spots has made him a fan favorite in Anaheim.

With Trout out, Moniak might finally earn some starts against left-handed pitching. His number against southpaws at the MLB level are not pretty as he has just one hit in 33 at-bats against them in his career, but even with his 0-for-9 mark this season, he has drawn two walks against them.

Left-handed pitching is the last thing Moniak has to conquer before becoming a legitimate everyday player. Moniak has torched righties but has been equally as bad against lefties. With more reps, maybe that can change and he can impress the Angels brass with good performance.

3) LA Angels utility man Luis Rengifo has a chance to impress following Mike Trout's injury

Luis Rengifo is a guy who I have felt should've been gone a while ago, and that remains my position, but with Trout joining so many players on the IL it feels like Luis Rengifo's spot won't be going anywhere for a while.

Rengifo has underwhelmed with the bat this season, slashing .216/.307/.327 with five home runs and 22 RBI, but he's been the Angels super utility man. Having a player who can play six different positions like Rengifo can be valuable, and Phil Nevin certainly likes to deploy him all over the diamond.

I wouldn't be giving him more playing time, but it's possible the Angels make guys like Moniak and Adell show that they belong even more while giving Rengifo more reps. If he hits, he will continue to play. For what it's worth, Rengifo has four hits in his last seven at-bats with a home run. It would not be shocking to see his name in the lineup tonight.

While Rengifo might not have a long-term spot with the Angels, if he plays well he could impress other GM's on the trade market. Again, it's not necessarily what I'd do, but I do feel like he absolutely has a chance to impress.

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