SEATTLE -- When things are off mechanically for Jo Adell, he has one of the best resources available.
So after an 0-for-4 night in an 8-3 loss to the Mariners, Adell went straight to work in the clubhouse in front of Mike Trout's locker. With a bat in hand, the two longest-tenured Angels bounced ideas off each other, worked through different swing feels and reviewed video on a tablet.
“Obviously he’s one of the best to ever play the game, so you’re going to listen, hear some stuff and get some advice from someone who’s done it at the level he’s done it,” Adell said.
While Trout is progressing through his return with a right hamstring strain that put him on the injured list June 18, he accompanied the club on the road trip to continue his rehab, and hopes to return before the All-Star break.
But with the three-time AL MVP in the lineup or not, these postgame conversations have become routine since Adell joined the club in 2020.
“When anybody's feeling some type of way -- or we're all feeling off -- we'll try to use each other and bounce ideas off, and kind of just everybody in the clubhouse,” Adell said. “ … And he's been really good about it, especially being out for a couple of days, healing and getting back to himself. He's taking the time to look through and kind of give me some insight on what he's saying.”
Adell has been one of the Angels' more productive hitters as of late. He entered Thursday’s series finale against the Mariners slashing .246/.290/.393. From June 13-27, the right-hander hit .315 with 17 hits, a homer, six RBIs and nine runs scored. Since then, though, he’s recorded one hit.
Notorious for his power, he hit just two of his 11 homers on the season in June. More recently, he has been searching for consistency against fastballs and working to get his barrel back on-plane.
“I've been missing a lot of pitches a lot more over the past weeks than what I feel like I'm accustomed to,” Adell said. “Just trying to figure out what's been preventing me from getting to those fastballs that you know that I've been missing.”
And who better to converse with to get his swing back in form?
“I tell everybody: If they have questions, come up to me,” Trout said. “I’m a guy that can be very talkative, easy to talk to about that stuff.”
Trout, in his 16th season with the club, has often acted as a soundboard for hitters amid tough stretches. He’s always willing to offer his perspective.
Adell said Trout has always been a reliable resource, and their relationship continues to progress year after year. And that accessibility has only grown over time.
“He's become even more approachable than I think that he even was when I first got here,” Adell said.
Trout knows Adell’s capability with the bat. His breakout season in 2025 featured a .236/.293/.485 slash line in 152 games. He drove in 98 runs and belted 37 homers – both career highs, by significant margins.
“He’s been grinding through some stuff, just trying to tweak the small things so he feels good at the plate,” Trout said. “I’ve seen Jo go through a stretch where he was unconscious. … Just trying to get back to that feeling.”
Before his injury, Trout was slashing .234/.394/.472 for an .866 OPS, with 17 home runs and 36 RBIs. He was named a finalist in the All-Star balloting update release last week after being the second-leading vote-getter among AL outfielders. Trout was the only position player for the Angels to advance.
Out of the lineup or not, Trout, 34, remains a trusted voice.
“He's wanting to be a resource to help us to kind of go through something to kind of help figure out what's up,” Adell said “And even from our standpoint, we're learning from when he's doing great things.”