CLEVELAND — The Angels continue to bring Mike Trout along slowly.

After Trout started at DH on Friday and Saturday — batting fifth and sixth, respectively — he was out of the lineup entirely on Sunday.

Manager Ron Washington said that was the plan of the medical staff all along, and not a reflection of any soreness in Trout’s left knee. Trout was out for a month with a bone bruise in his left knee.

“He was all over the bags yesterday,” Washington said a day after Trout had three hits. “He came back the day before, so we wanted to just give him a break. He’ll be back in there when we get to Boston. He’s available to pinch-hit if I need it.”

Washington also corrected himself on the plan for Trout playing defense. He had said earlier this weekend that Trout would start doing some drills in the outfield this week in Boston, but on Sunday he said that will wait until the Angels get back to Anaheim next weekend.

Washington blamed the change on his own misunderstanding of the plan.

“Yesterday, after the game, when I talked with the trainers, they showed me the paperwork, and I was ahead of myself,” Washington said. “They want to wait till we get back to Anaheim.”

Trout did get into Sunday’s game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and delivered an RBI single.

STEPHENSON UPDATE

Right-hander Robert Stephenson played catch for about five minutes Sunday, two days after he had to leave a game with what the Angels have called biceps discomfort.

Stephenson said before throwing that he was feeling better, but afterward he declined to comment. He said he would provide an update today.

The Angels will be holding their breath until Stephenson is able to return. He spent 13 months rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, returning with a dominating 12-pitch perfect inning on Wednesday. He felt an issue in his bicep while warming up to enter Friday’s game, and he came out after just three pitches.

Stephenson was examined by a doctor, who did some strength tests, but he has not yet undergone an MRI exam.