Mike Trout's thumb — and bat — appear to be in working order

Mike Trout's thumb â€" and bat â€" appear to be in working order

Six weeks after tearing up his left thumb and undergoing surgery, two-time American League MVP Mike Trout was back in the Angels’ lineup.

What to expect?

Since returning to the lineup July 14, Trout has barely missed a beat. He’s hitting without apparent discomfort and hitting pretty close to how he was before the injury.

He batted .280 in his first eight games back, with three home runs â€" including a solo shot in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Red Sox â€" with five RBIs and four runs.

And with no physical complaints.

“The thumb is perfectly fine,” Trout said. “It feels great. No aches and pains, just feels normal.”

Bridwell impresses

The right-hander purchased from the Orioles in April was a combined 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA in the minors this season and showed little indication he could turn things around in the majors.

Yet Parker Bridwell (4-1) has a 2.87 ERA in his last seven games. For the first time he faced a team for the second time this season Sunday, and held the Red Sox to two runs on five hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking one.

“He made his pitches all afternoon,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You couldn’t ask for a much better game.

“He’s kind of learning on the fly how to be a major-league starter. He’s not afraid to go out there and challenge hitters.”

Bridwell, 25, offers no particular explanation for his turnaround.

“I have a clear mind,” he said. “It’s a fresh start and a clean slate. I think me being traded was a good thing for my career.”

Skaggs wait

Apparently it is not simply about left-hander Tyler Skaggs building up arm strength as he returns from his lengthy rehab from an oblique injury.

Scioscia has a fairly extensive checklist of things Skaggs has to show the Angels before he returns to the rotation.

“First is obviously getting healthy,” Scioscia said. “Second is getting to a pitch count he’s able to maintain and repeat. Third is getting hitters out; he’s going to have to back to that competitive mode.

“And fourth is staying healthy, which has been probably his biggest issue so far in his career. He has a number of things on his plate. He just has to take them one at a time and then hopefully keep going.”

Skaggs, 26, went four innings (three earned runs, six hits) in a triple-A start Saturday and is scheduled to go five innings in his next rehab start Thursday.

Short hops

Andrelton Simmons hit third in the lineup for the first tim e as an Angels and only the second time in his six-year career. … Albert Pujols had a scheduled day off. … Second baseman Danny Espinosa, released by the Angels after hitting just .162 (91 strikeouts in 228 at-bats), signed with the Mariners. … Nick Franklin, part of the platoon with Cliff Pennington now at second, has one hit in 15 at-bats since Espinosa last started. … In the last four games, the Angels bullpen has thrown 12 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with a walk and 13 strikeouts.

sports@latimes.com

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