an examination of Trout. “Once the inflammation in the joint goes down, he’ll be able to return to full activity.”

Alluri said he rarely sees this condition in athletes, and when he does it’s more often swimmers or rowers.

Alluri said the condition results from a problem where the rib meets the vertebra, causing inflammation.

“The most common way this is treated is non-operative, rest, Advil and Aleve,” Alluri said. “A big role is physical therapy.”

Alluri said the only long-term issue could be if something in Trout’s hitting or throwing mechanics caused the condition in the first place, in which case it could return.

Trout and Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad acknowledged on Wednesday that this will be something that will require attention going forward.

Alluri also said a cortisone injection is a typical treatment. Trout had a cortisone injection last Thursday, and it could be another week before he feels the full benefit of that. The three-time American League MVP has a follow-up appointment on Sunday. He is expecting to get more guidance then as to when he can resume baseball activity.

Trout said on Wednesday that he was feeling better, and he was optimistic about returning this season. That being said, if too many weeks pass, at some point it would not be worth bringing him back in this lost season.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said on Thursday that he’s not concerned.

“He’s going to be fine,” Nevin said. “It’s something he’s just going to have to monitor, just like every other injury throughout your career. He’s going to be good. He feels confident he’ll be back here soon. I trust him when he tells me that.”

Stefanic ‘grateful’ for his time in majors

Michael Stefanic is bringing an 0-for-24 slump to Salt Lake City, but he remains undeterred after his first run through the major leagues.

“I think my bat can absolutely play at this level,” Stefanic said. “I’ve hit everywhere I’ve ever been. This is a minor speed bump. I fully expect myself to play better and be back up here as soon as possible.”

Stefanic, a career .314 hitter in the minors, was optioned on Thursday when David Fletcher was activated, returning from nearly three months on the shelf because of hip surgery.

Stefanic hit .167 with a .461 OPS in 48 plate appearances.

As he packed his bag for Salt Lake, he said he was grateful for the chance and he acknowledged the issues.

“A dream come true,” Stefanic said. “First and foremost, I’m grateful to Perry (Minasian) and Alex (Tamin) and everybody who’s taken the shot. A lot of people have taken a lot of shots to get me here. It’s been awesome. But I’ve got some work to do, obviously. I wasn’t swinging the bat the way I normally do. So getting that right, and hopefully I’ll be right back up here soon enough.”

The other side of that transaction was returning Fletcher to the active roster, which Manager Phil Nevin hopes adds something to the Angels’ struggling lineup. Even though Fletcher has not been the type of hitter in 2021 and 2022 that he was from 2018 to 2020, Nevin said he still adds value.

“He’s big in the clubhouse for one,” Nevin said. “Everyone loves him. Everyone feeds off his energy. Nice to have him back out there.”

Nevin put Fletcher at second base on Thursday, with Andrew Velazquez at shortstop. Luis Rengifo, who had been splitting time at the two spots up the middle, started at third.

Nevin said Fletcher would play regularly, but he would still get some days off, at least initially.

Rotation shuffle

The Angels will call up right-hander Chase Silseth to pitch on Saturday, which pushes Reid Detmers back to Sunday and Noah Syndergaard to Tuesday.

That moves Syndergaard’s next start to after the trade deadline, which is at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday. It could be viewed as a negative to suitors, thinking perhaps the Angels are trying to avoid him having a bad outing before the deadline. Or it could be a positive, meaning Syndergaard would be available to pitch immediately for his new team, potentially giving them one extra start with him over the course of the final two months.

The move also simply gives an extra day of rest to Detmers, who is going to pitch his most innings as a professional this season.

Also

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (shoulder strain) said he is throwing, but not off a mound. Lorenzen said he wasn’t ready to make a rehab assignment last week, which the Angels had planned initially. He said he’s now “feeling pretty good,” but unsure how long it will take him to ramp up as a starter because he’s never done that during a season. He said returning to the bullpen is not an option, though. ...

Infielder Matt Duffy (back) was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Fletcher, who had been on the 60-day IL. Duffy has been out for a month, so he’s now going to be out for at least another month. ...

Outfielder Jo Adell was not in the lineup on Thursday, but Nevin said it was not because of his elbow, which had been stiff on Wednesday after he was hit by a pitch on Tuesday. Nevin said he was simply going with his best lineup. Adell is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday against left-hander Martin Perez.