ANAHEIM -- The Angels had a tough time getting out of Texas after Wednesday’s series finale, as a thunderstorm closed down Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after the game, causing players and staff to remain at Globe Life Park until nearly 2 a.m. CT.

The plane didn’t take off until roughly 3 a.m. CT and landed at around 4:20 a.m. PT, so the team buses didn't arrive at Angel Stadium until 5 a.m. As a result, Angels players weren’t required to show up for Thursday’s series opener against the Mariners until 5 p.m. for a 7:07 p.m. game.

“Talked to a few of the guys; they’re tired,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “By the time we got back from the airport, it was after 5 a.m. Most guys were asleep by 6. Just a rough travel day because of the weather.”

Mike Trout is a known weather aficionado, but he said it wasn’t as enjoyable on Wednesday because it affected the club’s sleep schedule. He was cleared to return to center field on Thursday, but the Angels decided to keep him at designated hitter for a fourth straight game as a precaution after he suffered a right groin strain on April 9.

"I love weather, but what it did to us last night, I guess it's part of it,” Trout said. “I got to watch some storms, but we got out of there late. I just think having a night game on getaway day and playing the next day, it's just tough. It's not good. It's not healthy. It's just a tough stretch we're going through right now. Sleep is a big part of the game, keeping your body healthy. When you take off from a city at 3:30 in the morning, it's tough."

Some Angels, however, said they didn’t mind the delay, as shortstop Andrelton Simmons said he had fun hanging out with his teammates in the visitor’s clubhouse. He said it had a different feel than being in there pregame.

“It was cool,” Simmons said. “You get to gel. You get to hang. You're not preparing for a game so you're just talking and playing cards and watching TV. Some guys were playing video games. It was kind of nice for me just hanging out with the guys and not having to worry about a game at that moment.”

Reliever Ty Buttrey said it was still better than the 12-hour overnight bus rides in the Minor Leagues and said the key was just trying to get as much sleep as he could after landing.

"If you tell yourself, ‘Oh, I’m going to have a bad day,’ then you feed into it with what you think," Buttrey said. "I just said if I go to bed by 6 a.m., as long as I sleep until 12 or 1, I’d be fine. I got up at 10 a.m. and went back to bed until 1 and felt good. But if you sit there and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to wake up at 10 and feel bad and I’m going to pitch bad,' then you are."