Angels CF Trout out with bruised finger

By Tom Withers

Associated Press

Published: Monday, July 2 2012 6:20 p.m. MDT

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout grimaces at a called strike in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Saturday, June 30, 2012.

The Canadian Press, Fred Thornhill, Associated Press

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Summary

Angels All-Star center fielder Mike Trout missed Monday's game with a jammed right pinky.

CLEVELAND — Angels All-Star center fielder Mike Trout missed Monday's game with a jammed right pinky.

Trout, who entered the series opener against the Indians leading the AL with a .339 average, hurt his finger diving back to second base in Sunday's game at Toronto. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said the rookie had trouble gripping the bat during early batting practice and the team decided to give him the night off.

X-rays were negative.

Trout has sparked the Angels since he was recalled from the minors on April 28. The team is 37-21 since the 20-year-old came up. He also leads the AL with 22 steals.

After he got hurt, Trout stayed in and homered.

"Usually during the game, adrenaline gets you through it and it doesn't get a chance to get stiff but overnight (it got stiff)," Scioscia said.

Earlier, Trout was named the AL's top rookie for June, when he set franchise records for average (.372), hits (42), runs (27) and steals (14).

Peter Bourjos started in center against Cleveland and batted eighth. Erick Aybar moved up into Trout's leadoff spot and hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Angels a 1-0 lead.

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