Forced out of England's Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier in the year, scans have shown the 19-year-old has suffered a lumbar stress fracture
Somerset fast bowler Sonny Baker is facing a lengthy period of rehabilitation after being diagnosed with a lower-back stress fracture.
The 19-year-old returned home from the Under-19 World Cup after being ruled out on the eve of the start of England's campaign.
Scans have since revealed Baker has suffered a lumbar stress fracture, forcing him to wear a brace for the last eight weeks.
While the club are optimistic about his recovery, they admit his progress will be viewed on a "month by month" basis.
Head of science & medicine Jamie Thorpe said: “Sonny came back from the Under-19 World Cup after experiencing some back pain and subsequent scans confirmed that he had a lumbar stress fracture.
"Therefore, Sonny has been shut down for the last eight weeks to ensure that we are giving the fracture the best possible chance of healing effectively."
Thorpe explained: "He had a further scan this week and has seen a specialist, and everyone is happy with the progress of his healing.
"Sonny can now remove the brace that he has been wearing for the last eight weeks, which has been supporting his spine and limiting his movement.
Baker missed out on England's run to the final of the Under-19 World Cup (James Chance/Getty Images)
"This will give him some greater freedom moving into his rehabilitation programme. For someone who is as fit and active as Sonny, wearing a support brace for eight weeks has been quite tough.
"With regards to his rehabilitation programme, we will ensure that he comes back at the right time and that the fracture is completely healed. It’s essential that we get him to a position where his body can again tolerate the demands of fast bowling."
Baker signed his first professional contract with the county after taking eight wickets in the Royal London One Day Cup last season and had hoped to continue his progress during the new domestic season. But a timeline around his return has not been set.
"We will take his rehab month by month and see how he progresses," Thorpe continued. "I think it would be unfair to put a timeframe on things. He may respond quicker than we expect and we need to be flexible.
"The key thing is that we are doing the right thing for Sonny in the long term. Hopefully, he will have a long career and we want to make sure that he is fit and available for selection for as much of that as possible.
"Sonny is a very diligent professional and the way he has handled the situation has been superb."
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