Jose Soriano (8-4, 2.79) takes the ball at 6:40 PM PT after a Tampa Bay comebacker drilled him in the chest last week and pushed his turn back a day. He still threw 5 shutout innings in that outing before the Angels lifted him at 76 pitches, and he's the clear pitching edge in this one against Jeffrey Springs (3-7, 5.13), who got smoked for 6 earned by the Rockies in his last start.
The bigger story is who isn't in the Angels lineup. Mike Trout hit the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain after pulling up running to first base in Wednesday's loss in Arizona, ending a stretch where he'd played 74 of 75 games. The Angels then got one-hit by rookie Gage Jump in Thursday's 5-0 series opener, with Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom going back-to-back in a 5-run first. That's a tough way to start a road trip without your franchise player.
- Day-To-DayJose Soriano SP — Soriano (chest) will start Friday's contest on the mound against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMike Trout CF — Trout suffered his right hamstring injury in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJorge Soler DH — Soler (oblique) ran on the field and did some light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.
- 10-Day-ILAdam Frazier 2B — Frazier (elbow) took part in light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.
- 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero C — Rivero was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left hand injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero C — The Angels selected Campero's contract from Double-A Rocket City and placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured hand.
- 15-Day-ILGrayson Rodriguez SP — Rodriguez exited Sunday's contest against Tampa Bay in the third frame due to lower-back tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud C — D'Arnaud (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot, and he played catch on the field Wednesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrent Rooker DH — The Athletics placed Rooker on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Tuesday, due to a bone bruise in his left knee.
- 15-Day-ILLuis Severino SP — The Athletics announced Tuesday that Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of his right shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske RP — Kriske (shoulder) began a throwing progression Thursday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (hamstring) will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund SP — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.
The Athletics, meanwhile, have a lineup that's actually fun right now. Zack Gelof brings a 22-game hitting streak into Friday night, batting .366 during the run, and Nick Kurtz leads the majors in RBIs and is tied for the MLB lead in June home runs. The A's have scored 5-plus in 3 of their last 5 games against real big-league pitching, so even with Springs on the bump, they can put up a number.
If there's a path for the Angels here, it's Soriano going deep and the Athletics walking themselves into trouble — Springs has been a walk machine, with 9 free passes over his last 11 1/3 innings. But the Angels just got shut out by a kid making spot starts. Asking them to flip the script 24 hours later, with no Trout and a hitter's-park crowd that smells a sweep brewing, is a tall ask. Take the over on Sacramento fly balls and the under on Angels patience.