ANAHEIM – The Los Angeles Angels promoted one of the top prospects in baseball, outfielder Mike Trout, from Double-A Arkansas and he’ll be in Anaheim in time to play in Friday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
What’s less clear is whether this will be a short-term visit.
The Angels were in need of a center fielder after Peter Bourjos strained his hamstring legging out a double in Thursday’s game vs. Seattle.
Trout, 19, will be in Anaheim wearing No. 27, the team announced late Thursday.
Trout is listed as ESPN analyst Keith Law's No. 1 prospect in baseball. His elite speed, size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), strong defense and advanced hitting eye draw rave reviews from scouts, especially since he is still a teenager.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Tony Reagins met for nearly 30 minutes after Thursday’s game, a 5-1 Angels win. Bourjos likely won’t play until July 15, at the earliest, because of the injury and the upcoming All-Star break.
Trout clearly is at least the second-best center field option in the Angels’ system, but when Bourjos gets healthy, the organization will have to decide if he'll stick around or go back to the minors. Teams rarely promote players before their 20th birthday, though there have been notable exceptions. Alex Rodriguez was 18 when he debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 1994.
Trout was batting .324 with 32 extra-base hits, a .415 on-base percentage and a Texas League-leading 28 stolen bases for Arkansas. He recently played in the Texas League All-Star Game and was scheduled to play in the All-Star Futures Game in Phoenix on Sunday.