LA Angels: Justin Upton injury history and updates

Evan Desai

Los Angeles Angels left fielder Justin Upton (10) singles in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Upton has been out for the LA Angels since Wednesday’s game with back tightness.

He was placed on the 10-day IL before Friday’s game.

With the Angels a little short on outfield depth right now, it’s worth taking a look at Upton’s injury history and how he’s been able to bounce back from previous setbacks earlier in his career.

Justin Upton injury history

Calling Justin Upton injury-prone would be a bit misguided. He’s not injury-prone, but has dealt with some serious injuries in his career. Here’s a look at the notable injuries that have come and gone during his career.

Patellar Tendinitis, September 2019

Justin Upton’s 2019 season ended early when patellar tendinitis was found in his right knee. He needed an injection to insert lots of platelet-heavy plasma to aid in his recovery.

Turf Toe, March 2019

J-Up injured his toe while running into the left field wall in an Exhibition Game before the 2019 season. Shockingly, the injury cost him action up until June 17th of that year.

Shoulder, 2010

Justin Upton injured his shoulder, which took a toll on his numbers in 2010. It also forced him to miss many games, playing just five past August.

Oblique, 2009

Justin Upton was out from August 6th to August 25th with an oblique injury.

Upton has been in this league since 2007. He knows how to bounce back from injuries, and understands the 162-game grind of an MLB season. He’s been through worse, and will return to his great production as soon as he heals up.

Evan Desai

Evan Desai has covered MLB with FanSided for 3 years, first as a contributor for FanSided's New York sports publication--Empire Writes Back--and now as the expert at Halo Hangout, the Angels publication for the network. He also runs Reign Of Troy, the USC FanSided publication, and has covered college sports since 2019--most notably USC and UCLA for the Pac-12 Network, University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University for Arizona PBS, and Arizona State University for Sports Illustrated's ASU publication. He has also run the Clippers FanSided publication in the past, Clipperholics, and has made two stops at NBC Sports.