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Mike Trout has not been able to stay on the field, which is truly a shame for him, his team, and baseball fans across the country.
On Wednesday, it seemed like things turned for the worse for him as it was revealed that Trout is suffering from a "pretty rare" back condition.
Los Angeles Angels athletic trainer Mike Frostad broke the news to reporters, saying that even a well-renowned back surgeon had not seen "a lot of these."
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Mike Trout, #27 of the Los Angeles Angels, looks on in the dugout prior to the game against the New York Mets at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 10, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
"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. There's so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn't seen a lot of it."
Fans were quick to assume the worst - the careers of David Wright, Matt Harvey, and others have been ruined by back injuries; however, Trout was quick to shut that down.
"I'm appreciative of all the prayer requests, but my career is not over," he joked.
Trout did admit that the condition is something he has to "stay on top of," but when asked if he had any long-term concerns, he kept it simple.
"No. No. No. No."
"I think it's a little exaggeration…" Trout added. "I'm not worried about it. It's just one [of those] things, you play, you swing a lot, and things pop up."
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Miami Marlins' Trevor Rogers during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIKE TROUT WILL NOT PLAY IN ALL-STAR GAME, WILL BE CAPTAIN OF TEAM USA IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
He also added that he expects to be back this season, and has already made substantial progress.
"That's my goal," he said. "I'm going to see a doctor Sunday just to check up, and go from there… The last two days, it's been a huge step. I'm excited with the way it's going. I'm happy with it."
The 10-time All Star was a candidate to win his fourth AL MVP Award earlier this season when he was hitting .320 with a 1.095 OPS in his first 43 games of the season. Since then, though, he is hitting just .209, likely due to him - by his own admission - playing through the injury. The Angels have fallen back down to the dweller of the AL West and the rest of the league with a 42-56 record.
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 3, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Trout has not played in over 140 games in a season since 2016 and is currently on the injured list again. He played in just 36 games last season.
The Athletic contributed to this report