Mike Trout out of lineup again versus Houston Astros

A sore left wrist kept Mike Trout out of the lineup for a second straight game Wednesday night. The Angels center fielder will be available to pinch-run and play defense in the late innings against the Houston Astros in Minute Maid Park, but he appears several days away from swinging a bat.

“He’s moving in the right direction, but we’re definitely going to err on the side of caution,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s the type of injury where you’d rather give it a couple more days on this end and not risk a couple of weeks on the back end. When he’s ready, he’ll be back out there.”

Trout, who is hitting .315 with a major leagues-leading 31 home runs, 64 runs batted in and 75 runs, jammed the wrist while attempting a diving catch in the fourth inning of Sunday’s win over Texas in Anaheim.

He remained in the game and hit a pair of singles and a grand slam, but the wrist stiffened Monday and ached after a few swings in the batting cage Tuesday. Trout underwent an X-ray Monday and MRI test Tuesday, the X-ray showing no fractures and the MRI showing inflammation but no structural damage.

Trout sat out Tuesday night’s 10-5 loss to the Astros, and the team’s medical staff instructed him not to swing a bat Wednesday. He was fitted with a brace to wear if he enters the game to run or play defense.

“They want it to be, and I want it to be, 100%,” Trout said. “I don’t want to have a setback. ... But the treatment I had yesterday made a big difference. It feels a lot better today.”

Scioscia said he will lean on Trout and the team’s medical staff to determine when Trout is ready to return to the lineup.

“We don’t anticipate it being a lengthy amount of time,” Scioscia said, “but we’re certainly going to make sure this thing is good to go.”

David DeJesus, acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday, will start in center field, a position at which he played only 21 innings last season, and bat leadoff Wednesday night. David Murphy, acquired from Cleveland on Tuesday, will start in left field and bat cleanup behind Albert Pujols.

To make room for DeJesus and Murphy on the 25-man roster, the Angels optioned outfielder Daniel Robertson back to triple-A Salt Lake and designated outfielder-first baseman Efren Navarro for assignment.

Follow Mike DiGiovanna on Twitter @MikeDiGiovanna