The Los Angeles enter their weekend series against the Chicago White Sox needing a win. The Angels are 4-6 in their last ten games. If Ron Washington's team keeps losing, their playoff hopes are all but lost. Unfortunately, Los Angeles will be without two thirds of their starting outfield. After hitting a major career milestone, Mike Trout joins Jorge Soler as unavailable to play.
Soler is on the injured list with lower back inflammation. Trout, on the other hand, has not missed a game since the All-Star break. However, he will sit out against Chicago with an illness, according to The Athletic's Sam Blum. There is a bug going around the team, and Washington made the decision to hold out the former All-Star for the night.
Without two of his best offensive players available, Washington's work is cut out for him. The White Sox, led by standout rookie Colson Montgomery, are a dangerous team despite their record. However, the Angels are still favorites to win, according to ESPN Bet.
Los Angeles fans are happy that Trout's absence is only because of an illness. The Angels superstar got hit by a pitch that caused the benches to clear earlier this week. However, it appears that the incident did not cause any lingering damage to Trout. For a player notorious for having terrible injury luck, Trout's supporters want him to play in as many games as possible.
Trout and Soler both survived the Major League Baseball trade deadline. There were a few rumors connecting Trout to the Boston Red Sox, but the Angels stood pat on Thursday. The only major move Los Angeles pulled off was the acquisition of New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza and a couple of relievers. Other than that, it is business as usual for the Angels.
Trout and Co. have a big hill to climb if they want to get back into the playoff hunt. Luckily for them, they have a weekend series against the 40-69 White Sox. When it comes to Trout, the team will exercise caution. The last thing they want if for him to suffer an injury that prematurely ends his season yet again.
