ANAHEIM -- Michael Trout may be returning to the Angels' lineup sooner than expected.
General manager Billy Eppler announced Sunday that Trout will not travel with the Angels to Minnesota and instead will stay in Anaheim for a private workout on Monday. Trout will then work out with Class A Advanced Inland Empire on Tuesday and begin rehab games there once he demonstrates "physical readiness."
Manager Mike Scioscia said Trout will likely require five to seven rehab games before he's ready to rejoin the Angels, which seems to point toward a second-half return for the 25-year-old superstar. Still, Scioscia said Trout's progress would be contingent on how he feels at each marker of his rehab.
"A lot of this is going to be determined on how he comes out of his workouts and how he feels," Scioscia said. "We're not going to miss any steps. We're going to take it one step at a time with Mike. There's no doubt he's making progress and getting close, but it's something you just can't rush."
On Sunday, Trout was selected to his sixth consecutive All-Star Game. It has yet to be determined if he'll play in the game on July 11 in Miami.
Trout underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb on May 31. Prior to the injury, Trout was batting .337 with a 1.203 OPS, 16 home runs, 36 RBIs and 10 stolen bases over 47 games.
The resilient Angels have managed to tread water without Trout, going 16-16 in his absence and staying within one game of the second Wild Card spot in the American League after Sunday's loss to the Mariners.