ANAHEIM, Calif. — In the quiet of the Angels clubhouse Tuesday afternoon, Mark Trumbo tried his best to explain a confounding situation.
It made sense, and yet it didn't.
Two days after hitting his second home run of the season and lifting his batting average to .375, Trumbo sat for a second consecutive game. His bat might be worthy of a spot in the starting lineup, but his glove is holding him back.
"I think I understand what my role is," Trumbo said. "I didn't think I'd be playing every day, and that's what's been happening. I don't have any resentment or anything."
Resentment, no. Questions, maybe.
Trumbo is working diligently on his defense at third base, but after making three errors in three starts at the position, manager Mike Scioscia has been reluctant to put him back in the field. His last start was at designated hitter Sunday night in New York when he homered against the Yankees.
"He'll get in there," Scioscia said. "We've got some things we're looking at. Mark had a great workout today at third base early, and he will get in there."
Figuring out when that will be isn't easy. Monday night, the Angels started fly-ball pitcher Jered Weaver, which would have minimized the number of chances Trumbo might have had at third. Instead, Maicer Izturis started. Tuesday, .105-hitting Alberto Callaspo was at third.
Scioscia said Trumbo is still searching for a comfort level at third, but in a way, it's the Angels who are looking for their own comfort level in the second-year big leaguer. He remains something of a risk at third, primarily because even routine plays still give him trouble.
"As quickly as I can progress at third and make the routine plays and the plays I should be making, that's going to equal more playing time," Trumbo acknowledged. "Obviously, if I'm struggling out there and not making the plays I need to make, it's all on me. That's how I take it, so I'm putting in the work to make everyone comfortable putting me out there.
"If I'm struggling, then there's no hard feelings."
Maybe the Angels could have used some of Trumbo's oomph in their offense Tuesday. Starter Dan Haren worked into the seventh inning and left with a 2-1 lead, but the Angels' bullpen wavered and lost to the Oakland A's 5-3 at Angel Stadium.
The Angels haven't won two games in a row this season and fell into last place in the American League West. They also seem at odds with each other. Scioscia said he lifted Haren because the right-hander was tiring; Haren said, "I wasn't fatigued by any means."
Haren gave up singles to Yoenis Cespedes and Kurt Suzuki before Scioscia called for left-hander Scott Downs to face left-handed-hitting Daric Barton, who had homered off Haren in the fifth. Downs got Barton to look at a called third strike, preserving the one-run lead, but relief pitcher Kevin Jepsen struggled and lost the lead in the eighth.
"Everyone is kind of struggling now," said Haren, who is winless in three starts. "As the season goes on, roles will be defined, but we need to be better. You can say it's early for only so long. At some point, you just need to play better."
The same could be said of Trumbo, who continues working on his defense in the hope he can impress Scioscia and the Angels coaches enough to earn a shot at playing third. It's not all physical; mentally, he has to convince himself he can do it.
"Whether or not I'm getting the results I want over there, mentally you almost have to think you're the best third baseman in the game," Trumbo said. "Whether or not that's the case, it is what it is. If you go out there showing any lack of confidence, it's going to show pretty quick."
That's true for him, and true for his teammates.
