"It's not as though Vernon Wells has never been in a slump before.

He entered Monday's game 4 for 40. He went 4 for 40 during a stretch of June 2010. And in May 2009. And in July 2004. There are probably other times, too, but nobody notices a 4 for 40 in the middle of the season, when those bad at-bats can hide in the mass of statistics that accumulate over 162 games.

But everybody has noticed Wells' slow start this season.

On Sunday, Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Wells met to talk about how to break the slump. Wells is a veteran who knows his swing and his routines, the thinking went, so he would know best what would get him going again.

He studied video with batting coach Mickey Hatcher. (They noticed that in previous seasons he stayed lower and kept more power in his legs.) And on Monday he went out with the young players to take extra batting practice.

"Right now he's just pressing himself," Hatcher said. "He's doing just like all the other big boys who went to a new team are. His timing is a little bit off, either in front or behind.

"We're seeing a lot of good stuff happening in batting practice and it just takes that one good swing in a game for him to get it going.""