ANAHEIM — A day after Mike Trout had an injection in his foot to address pain that’s been bothering him for about a month, Manager Brad Ausmus said on Tuesday that Trout could return to action as soon as Wednesday.

However, the Angels are off Thursday, so Ausmus said he’d be conservative.

“It’s really how he feels,” Ausmus said. “But with the off-day on Thursday, if he hedges at all (on Wednesday) I’m going to pull the plug. If he comes in and feels good, we have been cleared to play him.”

Trout had the injection on Monday and was unable to play on Monday or Tuesday. He started on Friday, but he came out early in the game. He has missed the last four games.

WHO TO PLAY

The Angels play only contending teams the rest of the season. Not only will that make it difficult for the Angels to finish strong, but it also means that Ausmus isn’t going to just throw his young players on the field to let them play.

“I do think you are playing against a team that is contending and competing against others for a playoff spot, I do feel you have a responsibility to put a lineup out that will give them a game and hopefully we can win,” Ausmus said. “I don’t think you can use that as a developmental program when they are competing against other teams for a playoff spot. I don’t think that’s fair.”

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Why Angels pitching struggled and what needs to be done Ausmus said that it will be tough to find spots for position players such as Taylor Ward, Michael Hermosillo and Justin Bour. He said Jared Walsh will get most of the time at first when Albert Pujols isn’t playing.

ALSO

Tommy La Stella did some running on the field before Tuesday’s game. There is no timetable for a return for La Stella, who is in the final stages of rehabbing from a fractured leg. …

Shohei Ohtani, who this week is taking a break from throwing bullpen sessions, has been cleared to throw an up-down bullpen session, which is a longer bullpen session with a break to simulate pitching multiple innings.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Dillon Peters, 3-2, 4.45 ERA) vs. Indians (RHP Adam Plutko, 6-4, 4.44 ERA), Wednesday, 5:07 p.m., Fox Sports West, 830 AM