Mike Trout returns to Angels’ lineup; Jered Weaver may start game in minors

Mike Trout returned to the Angels’ lineup as the designated hitter for Wednesday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins, one day after the center fielder missed his first game of the season because of a left heel injury.

“It feels a lot better today,” Trout said before the game. “[Manager Mike] Scioscia said I would DH tonight and get back to the outfield tomorrow. I still don’t know if I jammed it or how I hurt it. It was just one of those things where I woke up and was in some pain. It wasn’t normal.”

Trout, the 2014 American League most valuable player, is hitting .307 with 28 home runs, 57 runs batted in and 71 runs this season, and Scioscia wasn’t about to risk serious injury to his best player by starting him Tuesday night.

“It’s something that we need to do, and hopefully he feels a lot better today,” Scioscia said. “He’s almost 100 percent, definitely well enough to go out there and DH, and we’ll see if we can get him in the outfield tomorrow.”

Jered Weaver, who moved toward a return from a left hip injury by throwing a four-inning, 60-pitch simulated game Tuesday, will throw in the bullpen Thursday. There is a good chance the right-hander will make a minor league rehabilitation start or two to get to the 75-pitch and then the 90-pitch range.

That will buy the Angels more time to decide which of their five starters, who entered Wednesday with a combined earned-run average of 1.86 since June 24, will go to the bullpen or minors when Weaver returns.

“It felt good,” Weaver said of Tuesday’s workout. “Not quite where I need to be yet, but it’s a step in the right direction for sure. I’m just taking it day by day. I’m going to throw a bullpen either tomorrow or the next day, see how that feels and go from there.”

With Sunday’s rainout requiring two pitchers for Monday’s doubleheader against Boston, the Angels will need a sixth starter Friday night against Texas. It appears right-hander Nick Tropeano, who was scratched from Wednesday’s triple-A start, will get the nod.

Tropeano, who missed a month because of shoulder fatigue, has a 2.65 ERA in his last three starts at Salt Lake. He threw six scoreless innings in his only start for the Angels this season, a 2-0 win over Oakland on April 23.