Angels News: Mike Trout Reveals Latest Update on His Back Injury

He missed time last season with what was called a chronic back injury.

Last year, news spread about a potentially career-altering chronic back injury for Angels superstar Mike Trout. Trout had a rare back condition called costovertebral dysfunction, that was expected to be an issue for the rest of his career.

Trout was able to return to play last season, and still played at an extremely high level. So it did seem like he would be able to play through it, and, just as importantly, continue to play at his MVP-level. 

However, on Friday, Trout shared even more good news about his back. When he was doing media availability as the captain of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, Trout called his back a "non-issue."

"Once the season was over, I really didn’t feel any, I didn’t feel the back at all," Trout said. "The back’s been a non-issue for the past four months. I felt it a little bit when I came back during the season last year. And then I’ve been on top of it pretty well."

Trout said he's been doing consistent workouts and warm ups that keep his back fresh, and he feels fully healthy heading into the 2023 season. That's great news for Angels fans who are hoping to see another big year out of their superstar outfielder.

The 31-year-old has continued to play at a high level, but just hasn't been able to stay healthy for a full season. Last year, Trout became just the sixth player in MLB history to hit 40 or more home runs in 120 or fewer games. So just imagine what he can do in a full season.

Trout's last "full" season came in 2019, when he won his third MVP Award (he played 134 games that year). If he remains healthy this year, there's no reason he won't be in contention to win No. 4.