Angels’ Mike Trout battling potential career-affecting spinal injury

Angels star Mike Trout is reportedly dealing with an injury that could affect him for the remainder of his career.

Mike Forstad, the Angels’ athletic trainer, told reporters Wednesday that Trout has a rare spinal condition called “costovertebral dysfunction at T5,” in which the “muscle spasms around the [rib cage] inflammation to protect it.” 

Trout has been out of Los Angeles’ lineup since July 12 due to back spasms and rib cage inflammation. 

The soon-to-be 31-year-old outfielder said not long after Forstad’s comments on his injury were made public, his “phone was blowing up” with messages saying his “career is over.” While Trout dismissed the idea that his future in baseball would be ruined, he admitted that he has to regularly manage the situation.

“I think he meant that I have to stay on top of the routine I do on a daily basis to keep it from coming back,” Trout said of the team trainer. “I’m appreciative of all the prayer requests, but my career is not over.”

Trout had a cortisone injection for the condition last week, sharing that it’s his “goal” to return at some point this season. He has a follow-up visit next week. 

“And 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,” Forstad said. “There’s so many things that can aggravate it.”

Prior to the injury, Trout was having another standout season that earned him his 10th All-Star nod. The three-time MVP was hitting .270 with 24 homers and 51 RBIs. The Angels have gone 4-6 in Trout’s absence and are 42-56 on the season.