Angels’ Albert Pujols starts at first base for first time since mid-June

Albert Pujols started at first base for the first time in more than a month Tuesday. He wanted to test the state of his sore hamstring with two games at Wrigley Field looming.

He pulled the muscle June 17 in Oakland, the last time he played the field. The injury forced him to miss two games that week, then confined him to designated hitting for the next five weeks. He is still feeling a grab within the hamstring when tries to run.

“It’s not gone,” Pujols said Tuesday. “Or, you would have seen me score from first base yesterday. I’m still feeling it a little bit. It’s weird. It’s in a spot I’ve never felt it before, but it is what it is.”

Pujols, 36, is surging on offense. He has five home runs and an .876 OPS in July, after again starting slowly with a .627 OPS in April. His 19 homers are tied with Mike Trout for the team lead.

“He feels good,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Pujols started 118 games at first base during his first season as an Angel. Bothered by plantar fasciitis in 2013, he played only 34 games there. He then logged 116 starts in 2014 and 95 last season.

Tuesday was his 26th start at the position in 2016.

Brandon Marsh is out for season

The Angels recently placed their second-round pick, Georgia high school outfielder Brandon Marsh, on the 60-day disabled list with a stress reaction in his lower back, effectively ending his season before it began.

Shortly after his selection, Marsh told SBNation.com he would not be signing with the Angels. He went on to sign for the exact slot value of $1.073 million earlier this month.

Jonathan Strangio, Angels assistant general manager, said “multiple back specialists” concluded the injury will not be a long-term concern.

Short hops

The Angels designated outfielder Todd Cunningham for assignment to make room for Tyler Skaggs’ return to the rotation Tuesday. This is the second time Cunningham has been designated this season. He hit .148 over 27 at-bats. … Outfielder Shane Robinson is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday for Class-A Inland Empire. He has been on the 15-day disabled list since July 6 due to a sprained right ankle. He could return to the Angels next week. … Kansas City called up Raul Mondesi Jr. on Tuesday, and the infielder made his regular-season debut. Scioscia recalled meeting him when he coached Mondesi’s father for the Dodgers in the late 1990s. “The kid looked like Earl Campbell when he was 3 years old,” Scioscia said. “He was thick.”

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura