Mike Trout will move back to left when Peter Bourjos returns

Mike Scioscia will ignore a growing wave of public opposition to moving Mike Trout from center field back to left field, the Angels manager confirming Thursday that Peter Bourjos, on the disabled list because of a left hamstring strain, will return to center when he is activated.

“When Peter comes back, he’s going to play center field,” Scioscia said of Bourjos, who expects to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Inland Empire on Monday and hopes to join the Angels on June 10 in Baltimore. “We’ll see where it goes.”

Trout, a defensive star in center last season, opened 2013 in left and was batting .252 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in on April 29, the day Bourjos was injured.

BOX SCORE: Angels 3, Dodgers 2

Trout, the 2012 American League rookie of the year and most valuable player runner-up, moved to center the next night and hit .343 with eight home runs, six doubles, five triples and 25 RBIs in 28 games to improve to .298 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs entering Thursday.

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Trout says he is more comfortable in center but acknowledged his surge at the plate has more to do with a slight adjustment in his stance and laying off pitches outside the strike zone.

Scioscia believes Trout’s production is a function of getting comfortable in the box, having the “rookie-of-the-year mystique” wear off and moving from the leadoff spot to second, where he is connected to No. 3 hitter Albert Pujols.

Trout leads the Angels with 42 runs and 55 at-bats with runners in scoring position. He shares the team RBI lead with Mark Trumbo.

“Look, Mike’s a center fielder — we’ve said that,” Scioscia said. “But at times, we need to tap into his versatility. Peter is an incredible center fielder.”

But why mess with a good thing? And why force your best player, a potential franchise cornerstone, to play a position he’s not as comfortable at?

That was the gist of a Foxsports.com story Thursday in which columnist Ken Rosenthal wrote, “Would the Giants have moved a young Willie Mays out of center field?” The headline of the story: “What the Halo? Leave Trout in CF!”

Many fans feel the same way, as evidenced by comments on social media, but Scioscia has never been one to bow to public opinion.

“There are moves you make for the betterment of the team, and I think Mike understands,” Scioscia said. “I don’t anticipate any significant drop-off because he moved from center field to left.”

Late scratch

Right fielder Josh Hamilton was scratched Thursday night because of back spams for the second time in three games. Hamilton sat out Tuesday night’s game in Dodger Stadium but returned Wednesday night, going hitless in three at-bats.

Trumbo was moved from first base to right field, Pujols moved from designated hitter to first base, Chris Nelson moved from third to DH, and Alberto Callaspo, who was originally slated for a night off, started at third.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com