ANAHEIM, Calif. — Although he hasn’t said so officially, Angels manager Mike Scioscia has given the left field job to Vernon Wells, choosing to sit a slumping Mark Trumbo, at least temporarily, as the team tries to stay in the wild card race.
How much Trumbo plays in the final weeks depends on matchups, Scioscia said, but also on Wells’ ability to contribute offensively.
After sitting out the first two games against the Oakland A’s this week, Trumbo is expected to start at first base in the series finale on Thursday. But after that, it’s possible he may sit more than he plays.
“We’ll still try to get Mark some looks, but as far as left field, we’re going to do what we’ve been doing for probably the last couple of weeks,” Scioscia said. “If we feel there’s a matchup for Mark, he’s going to get out there and hopefully be productive.”
Wells, whose two-season tenure with the Angels has largely been a disappointment, has been on a small streak since getting more playing time. Although he’s still hitting just .228 this season, he has nine hits in his past 32 at-bats (.281) with four home runs and nine runs batted in. He started the season in left but went on the 60-day disabled list with a torn ligament in his right thumb. By the time he returned, there was no more room in the outfield.
Conversely, Trumbo has been struggling to emerge from a prolonged slump that began in late July and has shown no signs of ending. He has been left out of the starting lineup in four of the Angels’ past eight games.
Trumbo, who made the American League All-Star team and finished third in the home run derby, has seen his average fall from a robust .306 on July 28 to its current mark of .269. He’s batting .174 over his past 36 games and has just three home runs in his last 43 games, although he still leads the team with 30 and is second to Albert Pujols with 83 RBI.
One of Trumbo’s aims this season was to cut down on his strikeouts, but he has already surpassed last season’s total of 120, striking out 136 times in 484 at-bats.
His problems are more mental than physical, Scioscia said.
“I don’t think you can put such a sense of urgency in every at-bat if you’re a player,” Scioscia said. “It’s a rough way to go. You need to go up there with the confidence that you’re going to hit the ball hard and let the chips fall where they will.
“Right now, Mark’s working hard on that, and it’s important not only for Mark but for everybody to get in that batter’s box and swing free. You can’t swing with any sense of urgency. You can’t feel, ‘If I don’t get it done with this at-bat, I’m not going to be in there tomorrow.’ ”
NOTES: Here’s an oddity: The Angels will open the 2013 regular season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds. With the Houston Astros switching leagues from the National to the American, interleague games will be taking place throughout the season, beginning with the Angels and Reds on April 1. The Angels will open with six road games (three each against the Reds and Texas Rangers) and will play their home opener April 9 against the A’s. Their first homestand will also include three games against their new AL West opponent, the Astros, April 12-14. Each team will play 19 games against divisional opponents.
