Logan O’Hoppe’s Promising Rookie Season May Be Over

Logan O’Hoppe has been one of many vivid spots of the Angels’ up-and-down season, however sadly, the 23-year-old rookie catcher might have performed his final recreation in 2023. On Sunday, the crew 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 recreation and performed the following three as effectively. “It felt fine after it popped back in, in Boston,” he advised reporters on Sunday, describing what appears like a subluxation, not not like what Fernando Tatis Jr. regularly skilled earlier than present process surgical procedure final September. “I mean, you hit three or four balls over 100 [mph], you think you’re fine,” he added.

Alas, O’Hoppe reaggravated the damage whereas hitting a single within the ninth inning of Thursday night time’s 9–3 loss at Yankee Stadium. He fell down in apparent ache after hitting a sizzling 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. Only 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 will probably be doable.

O’Hoppe has made a powerful impression in his brief time with the Angels. Drafted within the twenty third spherical out of a Long Island highschool by the Phillies in 2018, he climbed as excessive as Triple-A Lehigh and was chosen for the All-Star Futures Game 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 trade for Brandon Marsh. He instantly grew to become the Halos’ high prospect, with Eric Longenhagen ranking him as the fifth-best of all prospects amongst those that modified groups on the deadline and giving him a 50 FV: “Well-rounded everyday catching prospect who is a year or two away. A complete player with average tools.”

O’Hoppe positioned 51st on our Top 100 Prospects listing this spring however appeared ticketed for Triple-A Salt Lake City to begin the yr. Incumbent Max Stassi was slated to begin, 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 school however took a detour to the infield corners that lasted till ’21, was anticipated to be the backup, significantly as he’s out of choices.

But in March, Stassi left the crew because of 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 begin 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 crew’s first 19 video games, hitting .283/.339/.547 with 4 homers, a 141 wRC+, and a 12.8% barrel fee in 59 plate appearances. Among catchers with no less than 50 PA, that wRC+ ranks fifth:

Those are all small samples, and O’Hoppe may not have been in a position to preserve that early clip, however by way of 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 when you don’t depend Daulton Varsho (who has but to look 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 crew 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 had been hoping for or anticipating once they welcomed Anthony Rendon again from an injury-marred season and added Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury by way of free company. With these three becoming a member of Trout, Ohtani, and Taylor Ward (137 wRC+ final yr), this was speculated 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 night time, serving to him increase his wRC+ 41 factors. The crew 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 strain on the underperformers to get their acts collectively.

As to how the Angels substitute O’Hoppe, they’ve crammed his roster spot by recalling 31-year-old Chad Wallach from Salt Lake City. He homered off Ryan Yarbrough in his first plate look of the season on April 21 and added one other homer on Monday night time, 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; ultimately report, he’s executed some baseball actions, however the standing of his household emergency isn’t public information.

Thaiss hit .268/.364/.451 (104 wRC+) at Salt Lake City 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). Both supervisor Phil Nevins and common supervisor Perry Minasian have taken the glass-half-full method relating to the Wallach/Thaiss tandem. Via The Athletic’s Sam Blum:

“I like where we’re at behind the plate,” Nevin stated. “I’m confident in those guys. These pitchers have all thrown to them. We’re in a good place there.”

“I feel good about, obviously, what we currently have,” stated Angels GM Perry Minasian. “Matt’s developing. He’s getting better every day. Chad’s been there and done that.”

Within the group, each Salt Lake City 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 swap hitter Edgar Quero, who positioned eightieth on the Top 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 would possibly count on from a participant who spent all of final yr within the California League and moved as much as Double-A Rocket City this yr. He’s hitting .385/.529/.538 in 39 PA and went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in the notorious no-hitter that the Trash Pandas misplaced. With progress, he would possibly turn out to be 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 influence participant by way of that route. Robinson Chirinos is the lone unsigned main league free agent, however he’s 39 and coming off a .179/.265/.287 exhibiting in 220 PA with the Orioles final yr. Gary Sanchez, whom the crew explored signing this previous offseason, is taking part in for the Giants’ Triple-A Sacramento affiliate however has a May 1 opt-out if he’s not on the key league roster. Austin Wynns, whom the Giants designated for task once they activated Joey Bart, cleared waivers and have become a free agent earlier this month; he might quickly face the identical destiny from the Dodgers, who signed him to be able 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, that’s his lead shoulder as a hitter, which might price him energy. The jury remains to be out with reference to Tatis, however quite a few hitters corresponding to Cody Bellinger, Greg Bird, 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.

Speaking from private expertise, labrum accidents to both shoulder are an enormous bummer. Here’s hoping O’Hoppe makes a speedy and robust restoration from his.