Scioscia won't rule out a return to third for Trumbo
After all the time and effort and attention put into turning Mark Trumbo into a third baseman, Albert Pujols has played there more often than Trumbo over the past 35 games.
With the Angels playing six consecutive interleague games in Colorado and Los Angeles without the DH, the Angels opted to move Pujols to third for a game in Colorado and start Kendrys Morales at first base in order to keep his bat in the lineup. They will "revisit" that lineup during the series at Dodger Stadium (though not likely on Monday when the Dodgers are scheduled to start LHP Chris Capuano). It was Morales' first defensive action in a game since he fractured his ankle in May 2010.
Meanwhile, Trumbo has not played at third base since May 3 when he made the most recent of his eight starts there this season. Twenty-seven of Trumbo's past 34 starts have been in the outfield -- where he looks much more comfortable defensively than he did in his brief stints at third base.
Until Vernon Wells returns from his thumb injury sometime in late July and creates more pressure for playing time in the outfield, don't look for Trumbo to be returning to third base.
"Because of the dynamics of where our team is there's going to be much more outfield than anything else," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Trumbo's playing time. "He'll still work out at third and we'll revisit it at some point. But right now I think the positions that he'll be playing will be the corner outfields, first base and DH, obviously."
But Scioscia would not say Trumbo's relationship with third base is totally over.
"I don't think you can evaluate his long-range, third-base play right now," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt there's a comfort level -- as there is with most guys -- in the outfield. If you talk about, 'Is it easier to get comfortable and play corner outfield or third base?' There's no doubt it's corner outfield. I don't think that's anything you wouldn't expect."
