Angels Manager Mike Scioscia

PEORIA, Ariz. -- It wasn't the debut Sean Burnett had been hoping for: giving up two runs and four hits in a third of an inning during the Angels' 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. But for Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, simply seeing Burnett on the mound marked a big step forward for the left-hander. "Just getting out there and getting the wraps off is important," Scioscia said of Burnett, who was pitching in a game for the first time this spring after being slowed by back problems.

SEATTLE -- Torii Hunter, on baseball's restricted list since May 14, is scheduled to return to Southern California and work out at Angel Stadium today, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. The Angels right fielder will go through another workout Monday afternoon, and there is a good chance he will be activated for Monday night's game against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium. Hunter has been in Texas the last two weeks dealing with the arrest of his 17-year-old son, Darius McClinton-Hunter, on suspicion of sexual assault.

Angels slugger Albert Pujols is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday night's game in Anaheim against the Texas Rangers because he remained in the Midwest to be with his wife, Deidre, who delivered the couple's fifth child in a Kansas City-area hospital early Sunday morning. Pujols, who is hitting .282 with 30 home runs and a team-leading 96 runs batted in, played in Sunday's game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium despite being up all night with Deidre, who delivered a daughter, Esther Grace, at 3:30 a.m. The first baseman doubled once in four at-bats in the Angels' 4-3 win. Pujols did not accompany the team on Sunday night's charter flight back to Southern California, and the Angels were off on Monday.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Mike Trout will lead off for the Angels this season, but not for his entire career. That was the word Wednesday from Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, whose lineup this year will feature Albert Pujols hitting third and Josh Hamilton hitting fourth. Trout, as he did when he won the American League rookie of the year award last season, will lead off. "Long range, he's probably better suited to hit second, third or fourth," Scioscia said. "Right now, there's no doubt he's part of an elite group of leadoff men. " Trout hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases last season, numbers that reflect a rare high-caliber blend of power and speed.

If this keeps up - and the Angels certainly hope it will - they might have to explain to their fans why they yanked their most effective pitcher out of their starting rotation. Garrett Richards dominated the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, pitching seven innings without giving up a run or a walk. The Angels scored nine runs in the first inning - highlighted by Mike Trout's first grand slam - and rolled to a 10-0 rout at Angel Stadium. The Angels scored more runs in the first inning Saturday than they had totaled in any of their first 15 games this season.

The “electric” stuff of 24-year-old Garrett Richards has won the confidence of Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, who Saturday gave Richards Tuesday's home start against the Kansas City Royals over slumping veteran Jerome Williams. “I definitely get more confidence as I get more chances,” Richards said in the Angels Stadium tunnel between the clubhouse and dugout. “I feel good about what I'm doing. I'm repeating my delivery, trusting my stuff.” The Angels have won in five of Richards' six starts.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Mike Butcher wasn't only the best man at Joe Saunders' wedding. Butcher, the Angels' pitching coach, was the only man there. Saunders didn't plan it that way. He and his fiancee, Shanel, envisioned a dream wedding in Thailand last fall. But Shanel is a Canadian citizen, and an immigration lawyer warned she might not be allowed back into the United States unless the couple first got married last summer. "We had to get married at that time," Saunders said, "so we could get married in Thailand."

CHICAGO -- The Angels' protest of Friday night's game against the Chicago White Sox was denied by Major League Baseball on Monday, and their 8-6, 10-inning loss to the White Sox will stand. In a statement, MLB announced: "Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations Joe Torre has denied the formal protest filed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim regarding their Friday, August 3rd game against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. " There was no deeper explanation.  The White Sox had the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning Friday night when Paul Konerko grounded to Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo, who threw home to force out Alejandro De Aza. Catcher Chris Iannetta's throw to first base in an attempt to double up Konerko pulled Albert Pujols, who reached toward second, off the bag. Replays showed that Konerko ran the last 45 feet to first well inside the baseline, an apparent violation of Rule 6.05(k)

Angels 10, Milwaukee Brewers 5 AT THE PLATE: The Angels scored four times before Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan managed to get an out, with two of those runs coming on Bobby Abreu's opposite-field home run. Kendry Morales had a mammoth home run to right leading off the fifth, and outfielder Peter Bourjos added a two-run homer of his own an inning later. Morales finished with two hits and a walk, scoring twice, while Torii Hunter and non-roster infielder Gary Patchett contributed two hits apiece to the Angels' 15-hit attack.

Kendrys Morales took some major strides toward returning to game action for the first time in nearly two years Sunday when he ran around planted bases in spikes in morning workouts before the Angels' spring training game against the Cleveland Indians. "He looks like he could be seeing action by the middle of [this week]," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. When someone asked Scioscia if Morales was capable of starting the regular season with the team, the manager said, "Absolutely.