Angels star Mike Trout knocked out in eighth inning of 8-3 loss to Indians

An injury-marred Angels season went from bleak to potentially unwatchable in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians, when star center fielder Mike Trout took a 93-mph fastball from Tommy Hunter off the right thumb and was pulled from the game.

The Angels have 10 players, including their two best starting pitchers, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney, on the disabled list. They’ve already used 40 players — 20 pitchers and 20 position players — this season. They’ve lost 12 of 18 games to fall 12 games behind Texas in the American League West.

So when Trout jumped out of the batter’s box shaking his hand and headed for the clubhouse, there was a fear that the Angels had suffered a devastating blow, the loss of a player who is batting .309 with a .415 on-base percentage, .543 slugging percentage, 13 homers, 44 runs batted in and 43 runs.

But in what seemed like an upset to their shell-shocked fans, the Angels caught a break. Nothing was broken. X-rays were negative. Trout was diagnosed with a thumb bruise, and he is expected to play against Minnesota on Monday night.

“I feel better,” Trout said afterward. “When it hit me, my thumb went numb, and it scared me a little bit. Adam [Nevala, Angels athletic trainer] was trying to move it around, and I couldn’t really feel anything. But I came back up here, got some X-rays, and found out it was good.”

The same could not be said for Cleveland third baseman Juan Uribe, who was carted off the field in the third inning after he took a 106-mph grounder off the bat of Trout in the groin area.

Uribe was diagnosed with a testicular bruise. Trout said he asked Indians first baseman Carlos Santana, who hit two home runs Sunday, whether Uribe wore a protective cup. The answer was no.

“Oh man, I feel terrible,” Trout said. “I hope he’s all right.”

Angels reliever Jose Alvarez also left in the seventh after taking a comebacker in the shin, but the left-hander, who suffered a bruise, is expected to be OK.

David Huff did not suffer an injury, just the indignity of becoming the second Angels starter in three days to fail to last two innings. The left-hander retired five batters, giving up five runs — two earned — and five hits, including two homers.

“As a starter, you’re supposed to be able to go at least five innings,” Huff said. “To leave that many innings for the bullpen is pretty disappointing.”

Huff left a first-inning changeup up to Francisco Lindor, who belted a solo homer to left, and grooved a fastball to Santana, who sent a laser over the left-field wall to lead off the second.

Yan Gomes doubled. Third baseman Jefry Marte misplayed Uribe’s grounder for an error. Huff struck out Lonnie Chisenhall, and Michael Martinez hit a potential double-play grounder to the mound.

But Huff looked home before reorienting his body to throw to second, a delay that cost him any chance of a double play. Martinez scored on the fielder’s choice. Rajai Davis singled, Jose Ramirez walked, and Lindor hit a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.

“I had a quick thought of going home,” Huff said of Martinez’s comebacker. “I was caught in between and tried to make a quick throw to second for a double play.”

Indians starter Danny Salazar, mixing a 97-mph fastball with an 87-mph slider, held the Angels to one run and three hits, including Marte’s solo homer in the sixth, in 5 2/3 innings. With two on and no outs in the fourth, he struck out Marte, C.J. Cron and Todd Cunningham to preserve a 5-0 lead.

“He throws really hard and changes speeds on his fastball,” Trout said of Salazar. “He keeps you off balance.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna