Mike Trout diagnosed with rare back condition, out indefinitely

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout is dealing with a rare back injury which could potentially derail his entire baseball career. For now he remains out indefinitely but this has widespread implications for Trout and the Angels.

Trout’s initial diagnosis was for back spasms on July 12. Angels head trainer Mike Frostad says the outfielder is improving after getting a cortisone injection but will be limited to core and cardio workouts for the time being. There will be no baseball activity for Trout.

This is a lost season for the Angels, who will now have to rely on Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell in the outfield in Trout’s absence. Los Angeles will have to find a way to navigate this new hurdle on the path to contention. Trout isn’t going to hit free agency for a long time, but his trade value now takes a big hit. Even if the Angels don’t want to trade Trout, they’ll need to hope he recovers in order to attract other players to the team.