Angels slugger Mark Trumbo appears to be a no-go for home run derby

As of Sunday afternoon, Mark Trumbo had not received an invitation to the July 15 home run derby at New York’s Citi Field. If the first baseman does, he will most likely decline.

“I haven’t heard anything,” said Trumbo, who finished third in the event last year in Kansas City. “It’s a ‘no’ right now.”

Trumbo, who leads the Angels with 19 homers, said in June that he would not participate in the derby if he was not an All-Star because “I think it’s awkward to do it if you’re not on the team.” Trumbo was not named to the American League team Sunday but could be considered as an injury replacement.

Trumbo hit .306 with 22 homers and 57 runs batted in before the All-Star break in 2012 and .227 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs afterward. Though he didn’t blame his struggles on the home run derby, the event has been known to mess up swings and lead to second-half slumps.

“It’s an individual decision, but I’m not a fan of it,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of the derby. “It’s grueling for the participants. The number of full-gorilla swings you take … it’s like being on a driving range and hitting 10 buckets of balls. It’s tough. I haven’t seen somebody come away from that derby and be a better player for it.”

Trumbo, in a 20-game skid in which he has hit .173 with four homers and eight RBIs, was not in the lineup for Sunday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

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