The Los Angeles Angels are looking to get two of their sluggers back into the lineup this week as they face the Texas Rangers. Mike Trout missed the entire Houston Astros series with a left elbow contusion, while Anthony Rendon has been on the injured list since April 12.
Trout took swings in the batting cage on Sunday but didn’t play in the series finale against Houston. He told reporters he is hoping to be in the lineup on Monday. Manager Joe Maddon agreed with that assessment and said Rendon has a chance to play Monday, Tuesday at the latest.
The Angels are 3-7 in their last ten games. They avoided being swept by Houston as Shohei Ohtani led off the eighth inning with a 440-foot home run to break a 2-2 tie.
In addition to the injuries to Trout and Rendon, they also lost outfielder Dexter Fowler to a season-ending ACL tear, and Ohtani missed time as well.
With Ohtani scheduled to pitch and Trout expected back, the Angels are -165 on Draftkings for Monday night. The Rangers will throw Jordan Lyles, and they are +140.
Brewers Still in First, Without Yelich
Despite not having former MVP Christian Yelich for much of the month, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the National League Central with a 13-8 record. Yelich, who hasn’t played since April 10, is eligible to come off the injured list, and the MRI of his back didn’t reveal any structural damage.
Manager Craig Counsell said the team will proceed with caution with their superstar and increase activity to see how he handles it. Yelich left their last road trip to return to Milwaukee for the MRI, which basically returned no news.
The Brewers are in the midst of 17 games in 17 days as they host Miami on Monday with breakout star Corbin Burnes (2-1, 0.37) on the mound. The Brewers are -180, and the Marlins are +150.
Burnes has 40 strikeouts on the season with no walks issued. That is the starting pitcher record, and he is 11 strikeouts shy of Kenley Jansen’s all-time record.
Yankees Trying to Climb the Standings
The New York Yankees won three-of-four in Cleveland this weekend and head to Baltimore on Monday, tied for the last place in the American League East at 9-12. They have the same record as the Orioles and are four games behind the division-leading Boston Red Sox.
The lineup showed signs of turning things around in Cleveland this weekend despite a Sunday loss that denied the team a sweep. The Yankees hit nine home runs in the four-game series, including back-to-back blasts from Gio Urshela and Mike Ford on Sunday.
The Yankees rank 14th in the American League through 21 games with 3.6 runs per game despite ranking third with 26 home runs. They are dead last in the AL in triples (0) and stolen bases (4) while ranking 13th with a .206 team average. They do lead the league in walks but have just two home runs with a runner in scoring position.
The Yankees are -167 at Baltimore with Deivi Garcia on the hill. The Orioles are +145 as they send Matt Harvey to the mound.
The Yankees remain the favorites to win the AL East at -125 to the Red Sox +250. They are +300 to win the pennant, ahead of the Chicago White Sox at +525 and the Oakland A’s at +850.
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