Halos hope to see Hamilton in Houston

ARLINGTON -- The Angels will be in Houston this weekend, and they hope to see Josh Hamilton for the first time in 2015.

"Hopefully we'll connect with him face to face," manager Mike Scioscia said prior to Monday's game against Hamilton's former team, the Rangers. "Everybody's been in touch with him, but we want to connect with him and just see where everything is. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see him."

Hamilton, 33, has been in Houston since early February, staying at a friend's house while rehabbing from surgery to the AC joint in his right shoulder. He has been swinging a bat and is said to be in good shape, but there's a growing sense that he won't play for the Angels this season, with perhaps the only question being whether a buyout can be worked out.

Hamilton -- owed $83 million through the 2017 season -- is not expected to stop by Minute Maid Park to see his teammates during the upcoming weekend series, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

Scioscia said the situation is "very frustrating on some levels."

"As you try to get more clarity, it seems like it's getting foggier and foggier," Scioscia said. "We'll see where this is and where this leads, and just where Josh is. I think first and foremost, we're hoping Josh is getting the help and support that he needs."

• Asked if Tuesday's rehab start for Triple-A Salt Lake will be Garrett Richards' last before he returns to the rotation, Scioscia said, "Possibly."

"We're definitely going to err on the side of caution," he added. "But if a guy is down there wasting pitches, you don't want to get in that scenario."

• Mike Trout didn't hear from anybody on the Royals after his brief dustup with Yordano Ventura on Sunday.

"It was just one of those things," Trout said. "I was playing my game. I hit a single, and things got a little chippy."

• Remember Prince Fielder's bunt single against the Angels in Spring Training? The Angels are trying to ensure that doesn't happen again. They plan to keep David Freese in at third base when Fielder bats this season, then move Freese to shortstop on two-strike counts, with Erick Aybar playing up the middle.