Mike Trout says deal talks won’t inhibit his aggressive play on field

TEMPE, Ariz. — No news is not necessarily good news — or bad news — regarding contract talks between the Angels and star center fielder Mike Trout.

“I haven’t heard anything lately,” said Trout, whose agent has been in discussions with the Angels for months on an extension that many expect to be in the nine-figure range. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

Is the fact that an agreement has not been reached with only a week left before opening day an indication that talks have hit a snag?

“No, no,” Trout said, before realizing he had already said more than he wanted to on the subject. “We’re just getting ready for the season.”

Trout, the American League most valuable player runner-up in 2012 and 2013, reiterated what he said earlier in camp, that he’s not going to allow contract talks inhibit his aggressive play on the field.

In fact, he gave the Angels and their fans a scare Sunday when he appeared to roll his left wrist while attempting a diving catch in the left-center field gap. Trout’s glove came off his hand, and he got up slowly, but he remained in the game.

Although he isn’t in the lineup for Monday’s exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants, Trout, who is batting .408 with a team-leading five homers and 16 runs batted in this spring, said Monday that he was fine.

“I think the rug burn hurt more than the fall,” Trout said. “I’m not sore or anything today. I’m good to go.”

In other Angels news Monday morning, Manager Mike Scioscia said that Hector Santiago, Joe Blanton and Garrett Richards would start against the Dodgers in the Freeway Series games Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

But that doesn’t mean Blanton, the struggling right-hander, is in the rotation. Tyler Skaggs, who is expected to win the fifth spot, will probably remain in Arizona to pitch in a minor league game on Sunday, the day before the Angels open the regular season against Seattle at home.

Injuries to Sean Burnett, Dane De La Rosa and Brian Moran could open a bullpen spot for Blanton for the first week or two of the season, but Scioscia said he is not necessarily married to the idea of having a long reliever.

“That’s ideal, but not at the expense of losing a guy who can help you hold leads,” Scioscia said. “With the off-days we have in April, hopefully we can get going without maybe having to have the traditional length in the bullpen.”

De La Rosa, sidelined by a forearm strain, is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Monday and hopes to pitch in a game by Wednesday, but he still appears doubtful for opening day. Burnett, who had a setback with his elbow Friday, threw long-toss Monday and hopes to throw a bullpen session Tuesday.