ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mike Trout came off the injured list Wednesday and hit a two-run homer in his return, helping lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 13-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Trout hit a 438-foot shot that gave the Angels an 11-0 lead in the eighth. He has 48 career homers against the Rangers, the most by any player since the franchise moved to Texas in 1972 and the second-most ever against the club. Reggie Jackson hit 54 home runs against the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers.
The home run came on the 15th anniversary of his major league debut.
Trout sat out 17 games because of a strained right hamstring suffered while running the bases in a game on June 17. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki had Trout batting second as the designated hitter Wednesday night.
"We're going to obviously see how he feels," Suzuki said before the game about his willingness to send Trout back in the field. "Maybe in the beginning, I take it out of his hands. Not really sure how I'm going to handle it yet, but he is ready to go."
Trout, who grew up 40 miles from Philadelphia in Millville, New Jersey, was elected by fan voting as a starter for the American League team at the All-Star Game next week at Citizens Bank Park.
The 12-time All-Star has not been able to participate in the showcase event since 2019, having been sidelined by injury after his selections from 2021 to 2023.
Trout, a three-time AL MVP and two-time All-Star Game MVP, has enjoyed a bounce-back season with a team-leading .866 OPS with 17 homers and 36 RBIs in 74 games entering Wednesday.
The Angels designated infielder Donovan Walton for assignment to make room on the roster.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
