Mike Trout’s All-Star push has moved well beyond the fan vote. The Angels have jumped in too, turning batting practice at T-Mobile Park on Monday into a team-wide show of support for their injured star.
Nearly the entire roster and coaching staff wore white “Vote Trout” T-shirts before the opener of the Angels’ three-game series against the Mariners. The shirts were designed by the club’s social media team and featured a red, white and blue trout leaping from the water in a colonial hat, with 11 stars circling the image to mark the All-Star Games Trout has already made.
That colonial hat is a Philadelphia touch, a nod to the city hosting the 2026 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
For Trout, the setting adds another layer. His hometown of Millville, N.J., is about 45 miles from Philadelphia, and he said the location made the event stand out to him well before spring training.
“It’s pretty cool. One of my things when I was coming into Spring Training, I knew the game was going to be in Philly, so it would be cool to go back,” Trout said.
“I love my teammates and I take care of them and they take care of me. We have a tight group, and it’s pretty cool to see that.”
Trout is trying to make the game for the 12th time. He landed on the injured list June 18 with a right hamstring strain, but before the injury he was hitting .234/.394/.472 with an .866 OPS, 17 home runs and 36 RBIs.
He also advanced in the latest All-Star balloting update released Thursday, finishing as the second-leading vote-getter among AL outfielders. He was the only Angels position player to move on.
There had also been some thought about the Home Run Derby, which would be a first for Trout and would also be staged in Philadelphia. But that idea has faded with the hamstring issue.
“I'm leaning toward not doing it,” Trout said last Friday. “Obviously, it’d be cool to do it, but I probably won't do it.
I was thinking about it, but then I hurt my leg. So that's what kind of threw it off there.”
Trout has still made the trip to Seattle and has been doing light workouts while also beginning to swing in the cages last weekend. He said Friday he was jogging without pain, and he’s hoping that progress is enough to get him back for the Midsummer Classic.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the organization’s backing fits Trout’s standing just fine.
“Obviously Mike doesn’t need the extra notoriety and support. Obviously.
He’s Mike Trout,” Suzuki said. “Just having the organization behind you and helping to promote like Mike to get to the All-Star Game is definitely a great thing.”
In Other News...
Angels May Have Found Their Most Frustrating Deadline Trade Chip
As the Angels head toward another likely sell-off at the trade deadline, the bullpen has produced one name that could stand out if the front office decides to listen. A controllable reliever who still has years of team control left, hes drawing attention because contending clubs are always willing to pay for late-inning help, especially when it comes with a long runway beyond this season.
What makes the situation tricky is the timing. He was shaky early, but June has brought a sharp turnaround, with the kind of improved pitch metrics that can quickly change how rival teams value him. If that run continues into August 3, the Angels may find themselves holding a relief arm whose trade value looks very different from what it did just a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Angels GM Search Could Reveal Whether This Team Finally Learns
John Mozeliaks run as the Angels interim general manager has already prompted a familiar question: whether the next front-office move will actually look beyond the usual impulses that have kept this organization searching for answers. With his extensive Cardinals background, Mozeliak is in position to shape what comes next, and that includes the possibility of bringing in people he knows from St. Louis as the Angels sort through their GM search.
Among the names being discussed are Randy Flores, Rodriguez and Rob Cerfolio, each with a different kind of rsum that could pull the Angels in a different direction. Flores has built a reputation as the Cardinals scouting director, Rodriguez brings international scouting and player acquisition experience, and Cerfolio arrives with recent Guardians development work and a Cardinals role overseeing minor league operations. The question for the Angels is less about familiarity than whether this search leads to a front office that looks intentionally built, or just another version of the same cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Contender Eyeing Angels Power Bat As Trade Deadline Tension Builds
The Brewers have put together a strong enough season to make this kind of deadline chatter feel more like planning than dreaming, especially with a rotation that has been the best in baseball and an offense that has been dangerous in June. Even so, the one area that still stands out is the lack of thump. Milwaukee has not piled up home runs at the rate of the leagues biggest bats, even if the power has ticked up lately, and that is why the conversation is already turning toward how the roster might look before the 2026 deadline.
One name being tied to that future fit is Jorge Soler, whose profile matches the kind of extra punch a contender can never quite get enough of. There is also a sense that if the Brewers do decide to shop in that lane, they would not be limited to just one path, with Isaac Paredes mentioned as another bat who could slide into the mix if he were ever available. For now, though, Milwaukees interest is really about identifying the right kind of impact hitter before the market gets crowded and the stakes get even higher. [Read more 🡒]