Mike Trout has been out of action for almost three weeks due to an issue that was eventually diagnosed as “a costovertebral dysfunction” in his back. A few days ago, Angels head trainer Mike Frostad spoke to reporters and said that Trout may have to manage the issue “not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably.”
Despite that ominous-sounding quote, Trout himself seemed far less concerned, even though he was set to see a back specialist. With that meeting now having taken place, it seems that the initial concerns were perhaps overblown, with Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reporting that Trout got encouraging news from the specialist. After speaking with Dr. Robert Watkins, Trout is going to begin rotational exercises this week and hopefully start swinging a bat not long after.
“It went from my career is over to hopefully I’m going to play soon,” Trout said, adding that he’s already started a workout regimen of core exercises and isn’t really feeling the injury anymore. “It’s pretty much gone right now. It’s pretty promising.”
With the club sitting at 43-59, it seems it will be another lost season for the Halos. meaning there’s no need to rush Trout back and that he can ramp up activities at whatever pace is best for his long-term health. Though he won’t be able to make a huge impact in terms of the standings, returning before the end of this season would surely be an encouraging sign for the Angels and their fans.
2023 figures to be another important season for the franchise, as it will potentially be the team’s last with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is slated to reach free agency after that campaign. (The Angels have reportedly been considering trade offers on Ohtani but a deal still seems unlikely to come together.) Despite having the superstar tandem of Trout and Ohtani in recent years, the Angels haven’t had a winning record since 2015 and haven’t made the postseason since 2014. They are unlikely to break either of those droughts here in 2022, meaning next year could be the last chance to do so with both Trout and Ohtani on the same team, barring an Ohtani extension.
Trout is still capable of producing elite numbers but has been significantly hampered by injuries for a second consecutive season. Last year, he got into 36 contests and hit .333/.466/.624 for a wRC+ of 190 before a calf injury ended his season. This year, he’s already more than doubled last year’s games played number, getting into 79 so far. His .270/.368/.599 batting line is a bit below last year’s pace, but his 167 wRC+ is still among the best in the majors.
Honestly, it’s the gigantic contract and the pressure to produce that wears on you and I think that is Trout’s problem
Carrying all that money hurt his back?
And reaching for his wallet
Carrying the Angels you mean.
Where’s he carried them too .500? Great I’m sure Angel’s fans are super stoked about that. Nothing like having to give a guy $37M a year for the next ten years knowing he’s probably gonna miss 50 games a year. Yay .500 here we come every year if we’re lucky but hey maybe some of you fans paying for tickets might get lucky enough that a game you pay to see Mikey might actually play. I mean you might have about a 65% chance.
I said it then and I’ll say it now, as great as Trout had been, I would not have given him that contract. You knew (and know) it’s unlikely to end well.
Yeah. As much as they’ve failed he’s still carried them to whatever point they’ve achieved. The 80 career WAR speaks for that
I don’t as, outside of his slump earlier this year, he’s always produced.
Not the rare costovertebral dysfunction problem in his back huh
If Trout had left the Angels for the Yankees or the Phillies where the weight of that contract is expected to produce championships that would be one thing but Trout is in Anaheim in his comfort zone. Expectations are not his problem
The Phillies? Their expectations to win are the same as the Angels.
Completely different fan/media base
Hell no, Philly fans would boo Trout for getting hurt….just like either New York team or Boston. It’s part of playing in the northeast. He’s much better off in SoCal where no one cares…
We care but we are not sociopaths.
That’s what sociopaths say about themselves. Check.
Of course. You can go to an Angels game in a Yankee or Sox jersey and have a great time. Try going tp Yankee Stadium in a Red Sox jersey and get back to me.
It’s not about being a “sociopath” but north east fans are extremely passionate about their teams. The Angels didn’t even have a discernible fan base til 2002 as other than die hard Dodgers, Lakers, Giants, or 49ers most California fans are Fairweather bandwagon fans of whoever is winning in the moment. I remember going to several games in Anaheim before ’02 and the majority of fans were from the other team. Once Ohtani is gone be it next week or next year Trout will be playing many games in front of crowds that will make A’s games look full
Didn’t dodger fans get beat up in San fran and San Fran fans get beat up in LA?
Unfortunately
Or to to Dodger Stadium in a Giants jersey.
The Angels have drawn 3 mil fans a year from 2003 till Covid.
Regular playoff appearances from 2004-09, the arrival of Trout/Trout’s prime, Ohtani. Trout’s past his prime and Ohtani’s days in Anaheim are numbered. Unless Jo Adell becomes a star in the next year there is nothing to see there
Yankee and Boston fans are meatheads. They just as often beat each other up as they do the opposition.
I guess when you’re making that kind of money pride means nothing. I want my favorite superstars to wanna play in obscurity too that’s awesome. Stay away from those bright lights you wouldn’t wanna get burned.
Let’s hope Trout gets back to his almost normal self. He’s great to watch no matter the success of the team.
Whoops should have traded him while they had the chance!
Hey woulda never passed the physical if you’re referring to this year.
He has a complete no trade clause.
He not only reminds me of Mickey Mantle as a CF in his build and 5 tools, but in his persistent injuries as well.
Trout is definitely all too reminiscent of The Mick…he appears to have taken issue with the way in which his “rare back condition” was announced/conveyed to everyone. Should we doubt Trout’s word? He is a big guy with a lot of muscle on his frame…If he could lean up a little I think it would do wonders for him…But if he says he is OK and he will be back smacking the ball around this season, I wouldn’t bet against him..
Has there been a bigger WTF organization than the Angels? What a waste.
Agreed.
Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, Justin Upton, Pujols, Anthony Rendon. The list goes on. Their “big name” signings are nothing but head scratchers that ultimately leave fans confused.
Even with Trout and Ohtani, they can’t seem to win games.
What a moron. The Angels have as many WS rings in the 21st Century as do the Yankees.
You forgot Zack Cozart and Gary Mathews Jr. on that free agent bust list.
My Step-Dad and I go through this every year..”Why do the fans keep going to the games if they are awful?!” ME: ” Numerous reasons..There are many die hard fans as with any team..more than you think…there are fans who come to see Mike Trout (the best), fans come to see Shohei Ohtani….many wealthy fans in the region/people just looking to have a good time and go spend some cash…Angel Stadium is a great place to do it…Always a fun time there….The place is ALWAYS almost sold out/stuffed with fans. Most serious Angel fans are believers but we also know that Arte is the one holding them back..
Maybe they go because they enjoy the experience!
It’s a disk in his back. You don’t mess around with that. I can’t believe so many are questioning his desire. He’s doing the things to get back out there. This is one of the perils of the long term contract. The folks saying he has no desire are they same that don’t want their team to lose the superstars.
Another Don Mattingly. Don did those back therapy exercises too but had to retire in the end. Sapped his power.
Here’s hoping Trout (& modern medicine) can better tackle this issue. Baseball is better with it’s stars on the field.
Never liked Don the manager but man was his game sweat and cut far too short
Dude was a vacuum over at first
New York City really had a defensive 1Bman thing going for a bit: Mattingly-Hernandez-Olerud-Texeira-?
This sucks for everyone.
Best wishes he can play stellar thru this till the end of his days and retire strong and healthy
If the Angels were 30 games over .500 instead of 30 games under, Trout would be writing himself in the lineup and playing.
Just an awful take bucsfan. He definitely wouldn’t be.
I wouldn’t be writing Trout’s eulogy just yet. The media gets things wrong nearly 100% of the time. He’ll be playing soon, but no reason to rush back when the team is a dumpster-fire.
Even for fans of teams in his division? Maybe, but it’s not a given
ohtani is gone after next year poor trout
As much as it pains me to say this as an Angels fan, the Angels are better off using that money elsewhere like an actual infield that can both hit and field.
Yes the Angels need pitching and that’s what Shohei brings with his bat, but he also occupies the DH position, which forces Trout in the field. Trouts back will force more DH at bats which means that he and Shohei should not be in the same team. Trout is untradeable right now, so it’s gotta be Shohei.
Sure, trade Babe Ruth. Made sense to the Red Sox, too…
The Sox sold Ruth because their owner needed the money to finance a Broadway show. The Angels should trade Shohei and restock their minor league system. With Trout + Rendon they could use the money better to fill out the team as mentioned above. Shohei will likely get 50 mil per year as a FA. Yet he is another ACL injury away from being a permanent DH.
The parallels of pitcher/hitter are there. But that’s about it.
In 1919 (last year with Sox), the Babe hit 29 home runs and the rest of the team hit 4. Four.
Plus he played LF when not pitching. Different time and circumstances.
It makes me puke to think about trading Shohei, but the Angels flat out can’t win by signing him and keeping Trout and Rendon. Esp when Shohei occupies DH.
Why do you assume Ohtani will be gone after next year? If they are trying to trade him now, why would they not try to trade him after this season? A draft pick won’t be worth keeping him for ’23!
Does he take steroids? Seriously. His neck is huge in width; it looks unnatural.
Regardless, even if Trout is injured every season left on his contract, he’s still a first ballot HOFer. Probably the greatest player I’ve gotten to see play alongside Pujols, Miggy, and ARod.
If only they tested for those now…
But also, Pujols and Miggy aren’t even in the same category as Trout and Arod as complete players, and yes I know how crazy that sounds.
Ted- honest talk, perhaps leading to respectful debate… but which pair of mentioned players do you think is better? Follow up question, staying relative to your point- which pair is more “complete” and does that, in your opinion, make them better? We’re talking 4 great players and I haven’t personally compared all 4’s numbers. Hope you see this but any one can chime in, of course! Cheers
Umm. I’m a huge fan of trout. But to say that Pujols and Miggy aren’t in the same category seems like you must be in your early 20s. Pujols and Miggy in their prime were two of the greatest hitters in the last 50 years.
Trout plays a premium position and he has amazing speed. He could still be stealing 30 bags a year if he were allowed.
nbcsports.com/philadelphia/mike-trout-thinks-he-ca…
Nah, he just consider everyday is Neck and Leg day in the gym. But seriously, IMHO, Mike is just too big for an outfielder, kinda hurt your body when youre that big must running around outfield since his team has a bad pitching. When i broke my L1-L3 back in 2007, the first recomendation the doctor told me is not to gain weight, or my back will suffer.
No. It’s totally natural for a persons head and neck to keep growing at incredible rates into his 30’s. Just don’t check his hat size please.
Bonds had them all beat. And I can’t stand the guy.
Yanks2: “Does he take steroids? Seriously.”
Seriously???
Like Ted says, players are tested regularly. This is a ridiculous accusation.
I remember seeing an article saying Trout takes steroids for a thyroid condition a few years back
Baseball fans are the DUMBEST when it comes to anything related to steroids. The most ignorant posts are always in regards to steroids is comical.
nypost.com/2020/01/18/the-crazy-mike-trout-hgh-con…
It looks like that rumor was false.
Thanks for posting that, gbs42. So it was Scot Brosius’s son and Trevor Bauer who floated that false accusation against Trout, later admitting they had no evidence to support it.
It seems very odd that TWO separate MLB players would make public the statement about Mike Trout. Both said the same thing in essentially identical fashion. How could they have known this and why would they come out publicly about it then randomly claim the very next day it wasn’t true?
It just seems like an oddly specific notion and I wouldn’t be surprised if Trout had been taking HGH his whole career to be honest.
Yanks2, just because two people tell the same lie at the same time does not make it true. It’s quite possible they are each other’s “sources.” If you still believe this, it’s simply because you want to, not because there’s any objective evidence to support your view.
Brosius didn’t simply state Trout is on HGH, he said “he found a loophole for it and takes it for a thyroid condition”. Again, that’s oddly specific for something that apparently isn’t true. Why would him a Bauer make such a claim against one of the most humble and genuine ballplayers (Trout) in recent decades? I’m not saying him taking HGH is true or not, I’m questioning why such a specific notion about it would be made public at all if it wasn’t true.
Well he looks like he has a thyroid condition to be honest, his face is all blown up and he has definitely gained weight over his career. But the solution to any condition is dietary and not HGH, if Trout wants to save his career he’ll get off the junk food and eat a vegan / vegetarian diet.
FYI you can eat as much vegan food as you want, you can eat twenty pounds a day, and the food taste better. In my opinion the diet and conditioning program is the only way Trout salvages his career.
Yanks2, considering Bauer is about the polar opposite of “humble and genuine,” I’ll just say consider the source.
And the “I’m not saying he did it, I’m just asking questions” approach is basically an accusation hidden behind a barely credible disclaimer.
You clearly didn’t read what I said. I said Trout is humble and genuine. Not Bauer
You clearly didn’t understand what I said. My point is that the person making the accusation, Bauer, is not humble, genuine, or reliable.
The whole thing is a non-story.
Agreed. But why would he say it at all. Is he simply jealous of Trout because Trout has had a much more successful career?
Because Bauer is a d*ck.
Yes, but mlb approved/doctor prescribed. He is not a cheater.
No, he didn’t take HGH, sillywabbit, doctor-prescribed or otherwise. Read the Post article linked above by gbs42.
I think it’s from all of the Torino’s Pizza Rolls.
Back injuries are difficult to recover from. Hope Trout is able to get back.
Let’s say he demands a trade. Would anybody be willing to take him along with his contract at this point?
I just discussed this with a few cohorts recently. I’d say most, if not all, teams say no.
Yankees, Mets, Dodgers could all afford it
Angels would have to pay a little something to get any real return imo. Trout is reeeaaaallllllly good but he’s hurt quite a bit too and it’s a lot of money on top of the injuries
Any team would because of the cash he brings back in merch and attendence.
He’s got a no trade so he could pick his spot and I assume and maybe incorrectly that the Phillies would top his list, would certainly be interested given the position he plays.
That sounds like good news, I was worried the doctor would say he needs a backiotomy.
He had sex with my momma!!
She really knows how to reel in trouser Trout!!
Ok, so his career isn’t over, but if it is…HOF or no?
Yep
Trout is still only 30 years old and in his first 10 seasons has a career OBP of .416 and an OPS+ of 176. That’s insane. He’s a first ballot HOFer 110%
bcjd, Trout became a Hall of Famer the first game of his 10th season, which made him eligible. His qualifications are indisputable.
Is he a HOF lol is that a serious question?
Not even a question that needs to be asked. The only real question is if he’d get in with a unanimous vote or not.
Yes, no doubt.
The hall of fame induction is more of a business now than honoring the elite careers of the game so odds are he gets in. Lots of money to be made with that induction, they aren’t going to miss out on that cashola.
Unfortunately we’ve seen the best of Trout. These injuries are adding up and he’s never going to be the same again. That’s just the cold hard truth. The angels are in desperate need of a rebuild.
The big goals for Trout are
– a World Series ring
– 3000 hits
– 500 HRs
He’ll need ten seasons to get the hits, won’t affect his HOF ballot but those are the numbers you want to hit as a HOF player, the lost season in 2020 and the injuries the past two seasons really put a damper on it. Trouts going to have to work his ass off to stay healthy, going to have to get on the Tom Brady diet, going to have to really work hard at his conditioning if he has any shot at those goals.
3000 hits? He’s not even halfway there. He’s been playing since he was 20. Think it’s safe to say that ain’t happening. Maybe he can get to 500 HR. But hopefully he’s not stumbling to that total. He already has a 80 WAR for his career. Which is insane. He’s already a first ballot hall of famer. No doubt about that. The tragedy of his compiling injuries is that he could have been at 125 career WAR if healthy. Like Griffey, it’s now always going to be what could she been, overshadowing what he actually has done. Which is still legendary. That’s what’s crazy about how talented this dude is.
Griffey hit 600 HRs, what more could you want? If Trout is healthy for eight seasons he will be close enough to 3000 hits to justify playing into his forties to get to 3K
What a bust
He’s now their official DH for the rest of the career.
Hahahaha! what were dumb trolls saying the other day? What? The end of a career? LMAO!
He’s done. He might not end the playing career, but the injury is going to impact the rest of his career stats. With that said, even if he retired today, he’s be in the HOF as a first ballot.
The rumor has it that by this time next year, Trout will be renouncing the rest of his salary and retire. What a guy.
The angels need to blow this current roster up. When the brightest spot on the team is Luis Rengifo, your organization has a problem. Ohtani and trout have been terrible with situational hitting. The only players I care about staying are …well, no one. Get rid of whoever another team is stupid enough to take.
You’re picking Rengifo over Ohtani? That’s a truly unique take.
Yeah, because he at least can move a runner from second to third with nobody out regularly. But in all seriousness, Ohtani is the most valuable player in the league. He needs to be traded while his stock his high. The angels aren’t winning anything while they have control of him.
Rengifo and Ward. Who would’ve guessed.
This team went downhill ever since they traded Kendrick for Heaney. They haven’t had a winning culture in nearly a decade. Not a single player on this current roster is a winner.
It’s not the end of Trout as many people have been saying but Trout is now going downhill he reached his peak. He can slow this with a position change like to 1B that would save his back. I have Ohtani under contract I’m not trading him even if Trout has to DH, I’m telling the man shut up and pitch. Angels are probably looking to unload Ohtani now though to get max prospects. Between Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon that’s probably 900 million in contractual obligation for just 3 players. I just don’t see Arte signing up for that and not being in the playoffs.
“shut up and pitch” demonstrates wonderful management skills
How can you not like Mike Trout? Surely one of the best, if not the best player of his generation. He makes a lot of money….so what? I don’t get some of the posters on here.
Apparently.
I would not count out Mike Trout to rebound and get back to peak form. Too early to give up on the best player who has ever played.
Really?? I love the guy but better than Jr? Better than Hank Aaron? Musial? Mays? Mantle? Ichiro? Longevity plays a part in GOAT. Has he played 100 games in the last two seasons? Put down the Kid Kool aid
Hopefully he gets his back fixed up. I want to see his career numbers after playing at least 20 seasons.
This is a drawback of teams not keeping their prospects pool strong. S.Ohtani needs to be dealt to get a package of MLB talent & some prospects. Hopefully gets Trout healthy & with the right trades of Noah etc the Angels can give themselves better talent to work with going forward.
When are they going to pull him out of CF? Yes I know his value is higher playing a premium defensive position, but his value is 0 if the bat isn’t in his hands. Get a glove first center fielder and put trout in right or left. I’m thinking a Juan Pierre type (yeah I know my age is showing), can hit lead off steal some bases and get on base before Sho Trout and Ward. Oh, and Rendon.