ANAHEIM — With as many injuries as the Angels have already endured, they are taking no chances with Mike Trout.
On Sunday, Trout was out of the lineup for the second day in a row, and third time in the last four games, resting a tight left hamstring.
“Have to be smart about it,” Trout said. “I figure we take today and yesterday and see how it feels in Oakland (on Monday)… I’m going to come to the field tomorrow ready to play and see how it feels.”
Trout sat out Thursday’s game and played on Friday. He was in the lineup on Saturday, but scratched at the last minute because it tightened up on him during pregame warmups. The decision to rest Trout was made before he even arrived at the ballpark on Sunday morning.
“The hamstring is a different animal,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “If your shoulder is a little sore, you can DH, but if your hamstring is a little tight and achy you need to make sure you get it addressed and that’s where we are now.”
Since Trout became an everyday player in April 2012, he has missed as many as three straight games just once, in August 2013. He had a hamstring issue then. He missed two consecutive games in July 2015 with hamstring tightness.
“It’s something similar,” Trout said of the 2015 injury. “Nothing serious. I just don’t want it to get too serious.”
RICHARDS UPDATE
Garrett Richards, who has been out more than a month because of nerve irritation in his biceps, is still waiting for clearance to throw, but he feels optimistic that he’s going in the right direction.
“It’s coming along,” Richards said. “It’s advancing at its own pace, but it’s moving forward. I haven’t had any setbacks. It hasn’t plateaued yet. It’s going as we thought it would.”
Richards said he’s working out every day. The Angels are testing the strength in his biceps and comparing it to readings from before the injury. When he approaches the level he was at before, he’ll be allowed to throw again, he said.
“They won’t let me do anything until they are convinced it’s better, but I feel good,” he said. “There’s no pain or anything, so it’s kind of frustrating.”
ALSO
C.J. Cron (bruised foot) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A on Sunday. Cron is eligible to come off the disabled list on Tuesday, but the Angels are facing right-handed starters on Tuesday and Wednesday, so there may not be any urgency to get Cron back immediately. …
Mike Morin (neck) said he’s now feeling 100 percent and has begun a throwing program. Morin estimates that he’s about three weeks away from returning to action. …
Cam Bedrosian (groin) said he has been throwing at a distance of about 120 feet but he’s not sure when he will be able to get on a mound. “I thought it would be better by now, but we’re taking it day to day,” he said. …
Andrew Bailey (shoulder) and Huston Street (lat) are both throwing bullpen sessions, but Bailey is closer to beginning a rehab assignment, Scioscia said. Scioscia said there is a timetable that would have Street ready by June 1, when he’s eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list.