MIAMI (AP) - Mike Trout stood at his locker and frowned as he looked down at his left thumb, which was puffy and red and sending a clear signal.
He’s out.
Trout sprained his thumb stealing second base and left Sunday’s game in the sixth inning , and for the Los Angeles Angels, their 9-2 loss at Miami became a secondary concern.
X-rays were negative, and Trout is scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday when the team returns to Los Angeles.
“A scary thing,” Trout said. “Hopefully it’s just sore and just jammed, a bad jam. I’m obviously bummed out, but Monday if it feels a little better, we’ll see how it goes.”
The Angels hope Trout can avoid the disabled list, manager Mike Scioscia said, although he stressed the need for further evaluation.
“The first indication is it just looks like a little sprain,” Scioscia said.
Trout yelled in pain as he rose after he jammed his thumb into second base sliding headfirst in the fifth inning. He was examined by a trainer and stayed in the game, but was replaced in the sixth when the thumb became stiff.
“It was definitely sore for sure,” Trout said. “It was aching.”
The reigning American League MVP was 0 for 2 when he departed with the Angels trailing 4-2. He finished 2 for 9 in the series to drop his average to .337, although he hit his 16th homer Saturday to take the major league lead.
The Angels (26-27) went 4-6 on their trip to fall below .500. They lost two of three to the Marlins (18-30), who won a series for the first time since April 23.
“It seems like a long time,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “We haven’t even had many chances.”
Jose Urena (3-2) won despite a career-high six walks in five innings. He allowed two runs but had seven strikeouts, also a career high.
Los Angeles totaled four hits, left the bases loaded in the third and fourth innings, and went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
“It seems like this whole trip our starters have been pitching with their backs against the wall, because we haven’t really swung the bats the way we need to,” Scioscia said.
The Angels were shut out over the final five innings by five pitchers, while their bullpen gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton had three hits, including his 13th home run . Teammate J.T. Riddle hit his third homer and drove in three runs.
The Angels’ Martin Maldonado hit a two-run homer, his fourth.
Matt Shoemaker (4-3) allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings, and the Marlins rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three runs against him in the fifth. Pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki, batting .148, tied the game with an RBI single, and Riddle hit a two-run homer on the next pitch.
Riddle, a light-hitting shortstop in the minors before he was called up due to a wave of infield injuries, is batting .258 and has 13 RBIs in 25 games.
MARLIN BEATS TROUT
Trout struck out in the first inning and grounded out with the bases loaded to end the third against Urena.
“He is a top hitter. He’s a great ballplayer,” Urena said. “But when you have the ball, you can decide a lot of things.”
STANTON SURGE
Stanton is 12 for 24 (.500) since Mattingly moved the slugger into the No. 2 spot in the order.
“Maybe it’s a little different feel,” Mattingly said. “He has been swinging the bat good, and we’ve been scoring pretty good from there. I kind of like what it does to our middle guys.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Albert Pujols, who has been nursing a sore right hamstring, didn’t play. He remains at 597 home runs.
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-4, 4.37 ERA) pitches against Atlanta for the 25th time when the Angels begin a homestand Monday and face RHP Julio Teheran (3-4, 4.88 ERA). Nolasco is 6-10 with a 5.11 ERA versus the Braves.
Marlins: RHP Edinson Volquez (0-7, 4.82 ERA), who leads the majors in losses, is scheduled to start Monday against Philadelphia and RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 4.28 ERA).
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