Mike Trout Reports Progress, Update Regarding Back Injury

The outfielder hasn’t played since July 12 after going on the injured list for the first time this season.

As the Angels continue to scuffle to start the second half of the season, they await the return of three-time MVP Mike Trout to the lineup. On Sunday, the team received an encouraging update on Trout and his injured back, which has kept him out of the lineup since July 12.

Trout met with spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins earlier this week, and is set to begin rotational exercises on Wednesday and could start swinging a bat soon, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

Trout has been dealing with what is known as a costovertebral dysfunction at T5 in his spine. Last week, Angels trainer Mike Frostad said the condition is something that Trout and the team not only would have to monitor for the rest of the season but also “through the rest of his career, probably.”

Trout, though, was encouraged by the visit to Watkins and is optimistic he’ll play again in 2022.

“It went from my career is over to hopefully I’m going to play soon,” Trout said with a smile. “But it’s just one of those things. It’s scary. A back injury for a baseball player. You go through stuff. I get it. But you like hearing news from a doctor who knows what he’s talking about, and Watkins is one of the best.”

Through 79 games this season, Trout is batting .270/.368/.599 with 24 home runs and 51 RBIs. He played in only 36 games in ’21 due to a torn calf muscle and has appeared in 140 games or more just once over the past six seasons.

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