Depth Chart

Jepsen hasn't played since April 13 after straining his pitching shoulder.

Williams has delivered great ratios this year, posting a 3.05 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, despite middling peripherals, which include a 23:10 K:BB ratio in 38 1/3 innings. His next start could come against the Mariners at home next week.

It was Trout's second straight game with a home run and sixth straight game with at least one hit, boosting his batting average to .293. He has reached base safely in 16 straight games.

In his career, Bucker is 6-11 with a 6.25 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 103:54 K:BB ratio in 138 1/3 innings. He made eight starts for Triple-A Salt Lake this season, going 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 40:25 K:BB ratio in 47 1/3 innings.

In all eight of his starts, the right-hander has been tagged for at least seven runs and currently owns a 6.46 ERA. It's the first time in the Angels' 53-year history that they have been on the losing end in all of a pitcher's first eight starts in a season.

"I felt like I threw the ball good tonight and my stuff was good," Blanton said. "When they made contact they found holes, broken-bat balls fell in for singles and balls bounced their way down the lines. It was one of those weird games. There were a couple of innings where I was one pitch away from it. But they got a couple of two-out hits that cost me three or four of those runs."

Granted, he's not the guy who hit only eight last year either, but even the 18 he piled up in 2011 might be beyond his reach. He just doesn't hit the ball in the air enough to make it possible. To achieve the six he's had so far, he's needed a home run-to-flyball rate of 21.4 percent, by far the highest of his career. Of the seven players with a lower fly ball percentage than Kendrick's 22.6, most are slap-hitting speedsters like Ben Revere, Everth Cabrera, Elvis Andrus and Jose Altuve. And yet that's nothing new for Kendrick, whose career fly ball rate is only 26.6 percent.

Considering he's only the 12th-highest scoring second baseman in Head-to-Head leagues to date, he won't be all that special when the home runs slow down.

Brasier has made 13 appearances in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League this year, posting a 6.88 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB ratio in 17 innings.

"I told the doctor I had never had allergies before I started doing any of that stuff, but he said [drug use] has nothing to do with it," Hamilton told the Times.

Heading into Thursday's action, Hamilton has hit just .214/.264/.358 with five home runs in 174 plate appearances.

Pujols has recorded a hit and driven in at least one run in each of his last four games. He'll try to maintain his recent success as his team's series with the White Sox extends into the weekend.

Madson feels good, but the teams wants to slow down his pace, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Madson understands the decision, but feels he "can pitch here today and get people out," MLB.com reports.

The Angels are treading lightly with Madson, who is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2012.