Halo Headlines: Hamilton out with sinus infection, Gutierrez batting bicep soreness

The September 4th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Hamilton out with sinus infection, Gutierrez batting bicep soreness and much more…

The Story: Josh Hamilton says his shoulder is better but now he has a sinus infection that caused him to miss Tuesday's game.

The Monkey Says: Apparently the sinus thing is something that happens to him a lot. It might also be a creative reason that Scioscia can use to bench Hamilton against a tough lefty.

The Story: J.C. Gutierrez has been out for the last week with inflammation in his bicep.

The Monkey Says: I'm sure this has nothing to do with Scioscia pitching him five games in six days last month. Surely that is a coincidence.

The Story: Previewing the mst interesting Arizona Fall League prospects, including Taylor Lindsey.

The Monkey Says: It seems Lindsey is starting to win even the most ardent detractors over with his stellar 2013 campaign.

The Story: Yet another story on Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout competing for the AL MVP.

The Monkey Says: Trout is well ahead of Miggy in terms of WAR now, but we all know that doesn't count for much. The fact that the Angels stink is going to kill Trout's candidacy in the minds of most BBWAA voters, whether you personally agree with that logic or not. What I will find interesting is if Cabrera's recent injury woes end up costing him a few weeks of action, if that won't get Trout back in the conversation a bit. After all, one of the legitimate big knocks on Trout last season was he was in the minors for a month. Surely if Trout ends up with over 100 more plate appearances than Cabrera then it would help close the gap, no? I mean, it would be so unlike BBWAA voters to invalidate their own historical reasoning in favor of driving forward a narrative that they already have a bias for. No, that would never happen. Ever.

The Story: The Albert Pujols era in St. Louis is a distant memory.

The Monkey Says: The last two years have sullied his legacy a tiny bit, but the two World Series banners at Busch Stadium will make sure that the Pujols era is not forgotten for a long time. We focus a lot on recent play, but when his career is over we will all look back on what an amazing player Pujols was. Then we will all make fun of the contract the Angels gave him.

The Story: Mark Sappington is thriving since his promotion to Double-A last month.

The Monkey Says: Well, sort of. Sappington has walked 20 batters in2 25.2 innings for Arkansas. That is a small sample size, but it is a troubling development. There are still many the believe Sappington is destined for relief due to his mechanics despite his strong statistical season.