Healthy Mike Trout leading Angels into home series with Pirates

Mike Trout will be in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.

Whether he is in right field or the designated hitter, Trout has started all of the Angels’ 21 games this season to date, which is significant considering Trout’s recent injury history.

In the previous five seasons, Trout played in more than 82 games just once, and that includes last season, when he was limited to 29 because of a knee injury.

Keeping Trout in the lineup has been goal No. 1 for Angels manager Ron Washington, which explains Trout getting starts as the DH in 28.6 percent (6 of 21) of the Angels’ games.

Having Trout in the lineup is paying off, as he leads the club in homers (eight), RBIs (16) and walks (11) and extra-base hits (nine, tied with Taylor Ward).

Hitting for average, though, is something Trout is working to improve. A .297 career hitter, Trout is batting just .184. And his 25 strikeouts are tied for second most on the club.

Trout recently endured a 1-for-22 slide, but he seemed to turn things in his favor with a two-homer game on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.

“Me and the hitting guys (hitting coach Johnny Washington and assistant Jayson Nix) have been grinding,” Trout said. “It’s nice some things finally clicked.”

Right-hander Jose Soriano (2-2, 3.16 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season Tuesday for Los Angeles. If Soriano’s pattern this season continues Tuesday, he’s due for a good game. In his first and third starts this year, he allowed a total of one run in 14 2/3 innings; in his second and fourth starts, he allowed eight runs in 11 innings.

In one career start against Pittsburgh, Soriano got a no-decision after allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings as the Angels won 5-4 on May 8, 2024.

Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (1-2, 4.91) will make his fifth start and is coming off his best start of the season. Falter earned a victory after shutting out the Washington Nationals on two hits over seven innings last Wednesday.

Falter went 8-9 with a 4.43 ERA in 28 starts last year, his first full season in the major leagues. He went into the offseason intent on working specifically on his curveball, and he said it seems to be paying off.

“The curveball has come a long way for sure, I worked really hard on it in the offseason,” he said. “The slider I’m still kind of iffy with a little bit.”

Falter has never faced the Angels.

At 8-15, the Pirates have the second-worst record in the National League, the primary problem being the offense. They rank worst in the league in team batting average (.206), slugging percentage (.320) and on-base percentage (.289, tied with Colorado).

“We have to have better at-bats earlier in the game,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “Don’t have any answer for why that’s not the case right now.”

–Field Level Media