Logan O’Hoppe has been one of many brilliant spots of the Angels’ up-and-down season, however sadly, the 23-year-old rookie catcher could have performed his final sport in 2023. On Sunday, the staff revealed that O’Hoppe will want surgical procedure to restore the torn labrum in his left shoulder, an damage that’s anticipated to sideline him for 4 to 6 months.
The 23-year-old backstop first injured the shoulder whereas swinging the bat final Monday in Boston, however he remained within the sport and performed the following three as effectively. “It felt high-quality after it popped again in, in Boston,” he informed reporters on Sunday, describing what seems like a subluxation, not in contrast to what Fernando Tatis Jr. continuously skilled earlier than present process surgical procedure final September. “I imply, you hit three or 4 balls over 100 [mph], you assume you’re high-quality,” he added.
Alas, O’Hoppe reaggravated the damage whereas hitting a single within the ninth inning of Thursday evening’s 9–3 loss at Yankee Stadium. He fell down in apparent ache after hitting a scorching smash down the third bottom line, recovered to run to first base on what in any other case would have been a double, then exited for a pinch-runner.
The Angels put O’Hoppe on the injured listing on Friday, and by Sunday his season was in jeopardy. Solely after he undergoes surgical procedure on Tuesday will the prognosis be extra clear, although for the second he and the Angels have some optimism {that a} return in late August or September shall be doable.
O’Hoppe has made a powerful impression in his quick time with the Angels. Drafted within the twenty third spherical out of a Lengthy Island highschool by the Phillies in 2018, he climbed as excessive as Triple-A Lehigh and was chosen for the All-Star Futures Sport final summer time. With J.T. Realmuto entrenched behind the plate, the Phillies selected to deal O’Hoppe on the commerce deadline, sending him to the Angels in change for Brandon Marsh. He instantly grew to become the Halos’ high prospect, with Eric Longenhagen score him because the fifth-best of all prospects amongst those that modified groups on the deadline and giving him a 50 FV: “Properly-rounded on a regular basis catching prospect who’s a yr or two away. A whole participant with common instruments.”
O’Hoppe positioned 51st on our Prime 100 Prospects listing this spring however appeared ticketed for Triple-A Salt Lake Metropolis to start out the yr. Incumbent Max Stassi was slated to start out, although he was coming off a tough season, having gone from a 104 wRC+ and a pair of.9 WAR in 2021 to a 63 wRC+ and 0.0 WAR in ’22. Versatile lefty-swinging Matt Thaiss, a 2016 first-round decide who had caught in faculty however took a detour to the infield corners that lasted till ’21, was anticipated to be the backup, notably as he’s out of choices.
However in March, Stassi left the staff attributable to what’s been described as an ongoing household emergency. Upon returning, he strained his left hip throughout a minor league exhibition and was positioned on the IL to start out the season, opening up a roster spot for O’Hoppe, who not solely began on Opening Day but additionally did so for 15 of the staff’s first 19 video games, hitting .283/.339/.547 with 4 homers, a 141 wRC+, and a 12.8% barrel charge in 59 plate appearances. Amongst catchers with at the very least 50 PA, that wRC+ ranks fifth:
Highest wRC+ by Catchers, 2023
All statistics by means of April 24. Minimal 50 plate appearances.
These are all small samples, and O’Hoppe may not have been capable of preserve that early clip, however through our Depth Charts projections, he was forecast to hit a hearty .246/.328/.420 (113 wRC+) for the rest of the season. That projected wRC+ is tenth amongst catchers in case you don’t rely Daulton Varsho (who has but to seem behind the plate this yr) and Mitch Garver (who’s caught simply three video games). It’s not All-Star caliber by itself, nevertheless it’s manufacturing that’s not simply changed.
What’s extra, O’Hoppe’s 141 wRC+ ranks third on the staff behind solely Mike Trout (183) and Hunter Renfroe (145), with Shohei Ohtani (124) the one different Angel at 100 or higher in additional than 10 PA. That’s… not what the Angels have been hoping for or anticipating once they welcomed Anthony Rendon again from an injury-marred season and added Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury through free company. With these three becoming a member of Trout, Ohtani, and Taylor Ward (137 wRC+ final yr), this was alleged to be a deeper lineup with fewer holes than in earlier years, however Ward has managed simply an 86 wRC+, and Rendon has been even worse (.235/.344/.275. 80 wRC+). Urshela hasn’t been significantly better (.280/.308/.347, 83 wRC+), and Drury has been downright anemic (.211/.247/.380, 67 wRC+), although he homered twice agains the A’s on Monday evening, serving to him elevate his wRC+ 41 factors. The staff does rank sixth within the AL with a 106 wRC+, up 13 factors from final yr, however the lack of O’Hoppe put that rather more stress on the underperformers to get their acts collectively.
As to how the Angels exchange O’Hoppe, they’ve crammed his roster spot by recalling 31-year-old Chad Wallach from Salt Lake Metropolis. He homered off Ryan Yarbrough in his first plate look of the season on April 21 and added one other homer on Monday evening, however he’s a profession .202/.266/.320 (61 wRC+) hitter who’s by no means performed greater than 23 main league video games in a season, so moments like these dingers are prone to be few and much between. Stassi has no timeline for return but; eventually report, he’s carried out some baseball actions, however the standing of his household emergency isn’t public data.
Thaiss hit .268/.364/.451 (104 wRC+) at Salt Lake Metropolis final yr however simply .217/.321/.319 (83 wRC+) in 81 PA with the Angels. He initiatives to be about league common on the plate (.220/.319/.371, 97 wRC+ remainder of season); the query is whether or not his protection is robust sufficient behind it given his lack of main league expertise (138 whole innings). Each supervisor Phil Nevins and basic supervisor Perry Minasian have taken the glass-half-full method concerning the Wallach/Thaiss tandem. Through The Athletic’s Sam Blum:
“I like the place we’re at behind the plate,” Nevin stated. “I’m assured in these guys. These pitchers have all thrown to them. We’re in a very good place there.”
“I be ok with, clearly, what we at the moment have,” stated Angels GM Perry Minasian. “Matt’s growing. He’s getting higher day-after-day. Chad’s been there and carried out that.”
Throughout the group, each Salt Lake Metropolis catchers — 28-year-old Chris Okey and 25-year-old Anthony Mulrine — are light-hitting non-prospects within the Wallach mode with profession minor league OPSes of .611 and .609, respectively. Okey performed seven video games with the Reds final yr however was launched in September. Of extra curiosity is 20-year-old Cuban-born change hitter Edgar Quero, who positioned eightieth on the Prime 100 and is one other 50 FV prospect. He’s a bat-first participant with an correct arm and the makings of viable protection, however he’s unpolished behind the plate, as you may count on from a participant who spent all of final yr within the California League and moved as much as Double-A Rocket Metropolis this yr. He’s hitting .385/.529/.538 in 39 PA and went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs within the notorious no-hitter that the Trash Pandas misplaced. With progress, he may develop into an choice later within the season.
All of which suggests the Angels might use assist from outdoors the group, nevertheless it’s unlikely they’ll wind up with an affect participant through that route. Robinson Chirinos is the lone unsigned main league free agent, however he’s 39 and coming off a .179/.265/.287 displaying in 220 PA with the Orioles final yr. Gary Sanchez, whom the staff explored signing this previous offseason, is enjoying for the Giants’ Triple-A Sacramento affiliate however has a Might 1 opt-out if he’s not on the key league roster. Austin Wynns, whom the Giants designated for project once they activated Joey Bart, cleared waivers and have become a free agent earlier this month; he could quickly face the identical destiny from the Dodgers, who signed him so as to patch the roster whereas Will Smith recovers from a concussion.
As for O’Hoppe, the excellent news is that the damage is to his non-throwing shoulder, however as a result of he bats left-handed right-handed, that’s his lead shoulder as a hitter, which might price him energy. The jury continues to be out on the subject of Tatis, however quite a few hitters resembling Cody Bellinger, Greg Chicken, Matt Kemp, and Devin Mesoraco (a catcher) had their careers altered by labrum accidents to their non-throwing shoulders; Jeff Zimmerman did a Tatis-flavored roundup right here however lumped throwing and non-throwing accidents collectively and seems to have misclassified Bellinger.
Talking from private expertise, labrum accidents to both shoulder are an enormous bummer. Right here’s hoping O’Hoppe makes a speedy and robust restoration from his.
