Mike Trout has rare back condition: What it means for his MLB career

Los Angeles Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad revealed that star Mike Trout is dealing with a rare back condition that could impact the remainder of his career.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout last played on July 12, and was placed on the injury list due to rib cage inflammation. That forced him to miss the All-Star Game, but he has yet to return to the team. From what we have heard recently, Trout is dealing with a concerning injury.

Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad revealed on July 27 that Trout is dealing with costovertebral dysfunction at his T5 vertebrae, a rare back condition.

"“This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back,” Frostad said, h/t Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “[Dr. Robert Watkins], one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these. For it to happen in a baseball player, we just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis just to get prepared and then also playing in the outfield, diving for balls. Jumping into the wall, things like that. And there’s so many things that can aggravate it, but this doctor hasn’t seen a lot of it. And he’s one of the best in the country.”"

Mike Trout dealing with rare back condition

Trout received a cortisone shot last week, and is scheduled to meet with Watkins soon. Frostad said that the team has not reached the point where they have to make a decision about shutting Trout down for the remainder of the season.

But as Frostad points out in the quote above, this is a condition that could be aggravated while playing. It is obviously concerning, especially since he is the face of the franchise and one of the highest-paid players in all of baseball. Once he does return for the Angels, he will be monitored heavily not just by the team, but the media and fans as well.

Despite that concern, Trout did given an update to the media after the game, saying that some of the injury talk has been overplayed.

This season, Trout is slashing .270/.368/.599 while recording 24 home runs, 51 RBI, and 76 hits through 79 games.

Fans should get a better idea of when Trout can return to the team following his next doctor’s appointment. From there, the focus will be on how this back condition will affect his play.