Cubs try to slow down hot Halos

The Los Angeles Angels will go for their seventh win in a row when they visit the Chicago Cubs to open a three-game series Friday night.

But the Angels' hot start to the season has been tempered by a groin injury to superstar outfielder Mike Trout, whose status for the series opener is uncertain. Trout injured his groin Tuesday and sat out Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers before a day off Thursday.

"I obviously want to be out there for that," Trout said to the Los Angeles Times when asked about the Angels' upcoming schedule, which includes 17 consecutive games starting Friday. "So it's just, you don't want to set yourself back trying to push it this early in the season."

Recent cold weather in Chicago, where the temperature has dipped into the 30s this week, also could influence whether Trout takes the field.

"That would be a consideration when it came to Trout," Angels manager Brad Ausmus said to the Los Angeles Times.

Regardless, the Cubs know they cannot afford to fall into a deeper hole after losing eight of their first 12 games of the season.

Veteran left-hander Cole Hamels (1-0, 5.73 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago in his third start of the season. The 35-year-old is going for his second straight quality start after he limited the Brewers to two runs in six innings his last time out Saturday night.

Hamels has 157 career wins, which is seventh among active pitchers. The only pitchers he trails are CC Sabathia (246), Justin Verlander (205), Zack Greinke (188), injured teammate Jon Lester (178), Felix Hernandez (169) and Max Scherzer (160).

In 11 career starts against the Angels, Hamels is 4-2 with a 2.80 ERA. He has 28 walks and 58 strikeouts in 74 innings.

The Angels will counter with left-hander Tyler Skaggs (1-1, 2.45 ERA), who also will make his third start. He is coming off a victorious outing against the Texas Rangers in which he gave up only one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The 27-year-old Skaggs is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in one career start against the Cubs. He gave up three runs in six innings during a 2013 outing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

One of Skaggs' toughest challenges could be Jason Heyward, who scored a run in the Cubs' 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Heyward is hitting .351 on the season and .438 (7-for-16) with four homers, six RBI and nine runs scored in his past six contests.

"Everything in (Heyward's) game is first rate," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said to reporters this week. "I'm looking for him to maintain it.

"It's really fun to watch and special because the ball is coming off hot. It's a different swing. It's not like you can compare it to what he's done in the past. I do believe it can continue to work."

The series opener also will mark a reunion for ex-Cub Tommy La Stella, who is hitting .189 (7-for-37) with three homers and seven RBI in his first season with the Angels. La Stella won a World Series ring with the Cubs in 2016.

--Field Level Media