When Is Mike Trout Coming Back for the Los Angeles Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels’ season is spiraling out of control. They are now 16 games below .500 and just 2-8 in their last 10 games. 

A big reason why is the injury to star outfielder Mike Trout, who was placed on the injured list with a rib injury in mid-July. Trout sat out MLB’s All-Star Game with the injury, and it appears the three-time league MVP isn’t going to be ready to go when he’s eligible to come off the IL. 

Here is the latest on Trout’s injury, which is now actually an issue with his back: 

Latest Mike Trout Injury Update

Mike Trout reportedly is dealing with a rare back condition that he may need to manage for the rest of his career. His timetable to return is unknown.

The condition that Trout has is called costovertebral dysfunction at T5 -- so rare that one of the top back surgeons in the world hasn't seen much of these.

It was originally reported that Trout won’t be ready when he’s eligible to come off the 10-day IL after he had a cortisone shot in his back a few days ago. This new update is even worse for an Angels team that needs his bat in the lineup to compete in the AL West. 

With Trout potentially facing an extended absence, the Angels are going to need some magic to turn their season around. The team has never rebounded from a major losing streak earlier this season, and it has a slim chance of making the playoffs right now at 41-56. 

This season, Trout is hitting .270/.368/.599 with 24 homers and 51 runs batted in. He has a WAR of 3.7. It looks like he won’t be returning to the Angels any time soon.

This isn’t the first time Trout has missed time with a nagging injury, as he’s actually been fairly injury prone over the last few seasons: 

Mike Trout Injury History

Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic shortened season in 2020, Trout has dealt with an injury in four of the last five campaigns.

2017: Torn Thumb Ligament 

Trout’s injury problems began in 2017, when he missed 39 games with a torn ligament in his thumb. He still led the league in OBP, SLG and OPS, and was named to the All-Star team. However, it was the first time since 2012 that Trout played in less than 157 games. 

2018: Wrist Inflammation

Trout finished second in the AL MVP race in 2018, but he did miss 22 games that season, 19 of them coming due to inflammation in his wrist. 

While it isn’t as serious as his thumb injury, it may have played a factor in Trout not winning MVP despite leading MLB in OBP, OPS and OPS+. 

2019: Morton’s Neuroma

Trout bounced back to win the MVP in 2019, playing in 134 games, but his season was cut short by Morton’s neuroma, which eventually caused him to have foot surgery. Morton's neuroma is caused by pressure in the foot and may feel like a pebble in a shoe. It usually leads to sharp, burning pain or numbness in the ball of the foot or toes.

2021: Calf Strain

While Shohei Ohtani was busy winning the AL MVP in the 2021 season, the Angels were without Trout for the majority of the season, as he played in just 36 games due to a calf strain. Trout went down in late May and missed the remainder of the 2021 season.

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