Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout will start in center field for Friday night's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at Angel Stadium.
Trout served as the designated hitter in Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros, going 1-for-4, before the team had a scheduled day off on Thursday.
In Friday's lineup, the 12-time All-Star and three-time MVP is batting second behind shortstop Zach Neto.
Jo Adell starts in right field, Jose Siri in left, and Jorge Soler is the designated hitter.
Despite injuries in recent seasons, Trout has played 90 games this year, posting a .
244 average with 18 home runs, 40 RBIs, 63 runs, and 79 hits, along with a . 393 slugging percentage.
The Angels are at the bottom of the AL West with a 42-67 record, 13 games out of first place and 13.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
They have already traded catcher Logan O'Hoppe and pitcher Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers ahead of the Aug.
3 trade deadline, while players like Neto, Adell, and Soler are mentioned in trade rumors.
Before Wednesday's game, the Angels and the Make-A-Wish foundation hosted 11-year-old Jensen Vaught, a cancer survivor from Corryton, Tennessee.
Vaught was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma last year, finished chemotherapy in November, and was recently cleared to play baseball again.
Accompanied by his parents, Chris and Kellie, Vaught met Trout, led team stretches, sat with manager Kurt Suzuki, and watched batting practice on the field.
Vaught expressed his excitement before heading west, saying, "I was speechless. I'm so excited to meet Mike Trout.
It's been my dream for a while."
He admitted he hadn't prepared questions, saying, "I didn't know it was gonna happen, so I really don't have any questions planned.
I might just have to make one up when I'm on the plane or something."
His father, Chris, described the emotional journey, saying, "Ever since we got on the plane Monday, he's just been hyped up.
So for him to actually be out here watching these guys do this, it's awesome."
He also praised his son's resilience, noting, "Last year was pretty terrible. Watching him go through stuff that no kid should ever have to.
But he came through with a big smile, even during chemo. He would’ve played on his baseball team if he could.
He just never gave up."
Chris Vaught also commended the organization, saying, "You hear about Make-A-Wish and you hear about the stuff they do, but you never really know.
And then when you experience it like this, you're blown away.
There are no words to be spoken, the amount of stuff that these people have done for him.
Make-A-Wish making this happen all the way on the West Coast is a dream come true."
His mother, Kellie, recalled how her son discovered Trout, saying, "He loves Mike Trout. He started baseball at 7 and it became an obsession.
And then, one of the first books he picked up in the library was Mike Trout.
And since then, he's just been obsessed, and he’s always been his favorite."
She noted how naturally he fit in with the players, saying, "It was just really cool to see him leading the stretches with the players and it was like, ‘He's in it.’
And he can probably name all those players, and knows exactly who they are, and it's got to be so cool for him.
He knows so much about baseball. You can ask him anything, and he knows."
East Tennessee wish coordinator Zoey Tonkin emphasized the impact of wishes, saying, "Wishes are just truly so special.
There's no way to describe it, and once you see your first one or get to be a part of it, you're kind of hooked.
Wishes are medicine.
Kids are going through so much more than most of us ever have to go through, and they do it with a brave face most of the time.
It's just special to give them something to look forward to and some light at the end of the tunnel."
After their visit to Anaheim, the Vaught family planned to continue their Southern California baseball tour with stops at Petco Park in San Diego on Thursday and Dodger Stadium on Friday.
