Angels’ Rookie Logan O’Hoppe Will Likely Miss Rest of 2023 Season With Torn Labrum
Tough times for the Los Angeles Angels continue as rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe could miss the remainder of this season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which will require surgery.
O’Hoppe, the franchise’s No. 1 top prospect, received his diagnosis on Sunday, two days after he landed on the 10-day injured list. The team also provided a recovery timeline, announcing he is expected to miss 4-6 months.
The 23-year-old went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in Thursday’s series finale against the New York Yankees. But a scary incident involving his final at-bat overshadowed his performance, where he was in visible pain after recording his third hit in the ninth inning.
A few days earlier, O’Hoppe experienced pain in his left shoulder during last Monday’s afternoon game against the Boston Red Sox. But it wasn’t enough that he needed to be removed from the contest.
Amid cold and rainy conditions, the right-handed backstop reached for his left shoulder in agony following a swing in one of his four plate appearances. After gathering himself for a few seconds, though, he then laced a ball into left field for a single.
O’Hoppe played his next two contests without issue, only to tear his labrum three games following the initial incident. Barring an earlier-than-expected return, his promising rookie campaign is likely finished just as it was getting underway.
The 6-foot-2 catcher, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies during last summer’s Brandon Marsh trade, was hitting .283/.339/.547 with four home runs, 13 RBIs and a 143 wRC+ across 16 games at the time of his injury.
With Max Stassi opening the season on the IL, O’Hoppe had quickly emerged as Los Angeles’ starting catcher and was well on his way to enjoying a breakout 2023 campaign. But now he’ll have to watch from the dugout until at least September – if not longer.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” O’Hoppe said prior to Sunday’s finale versus the Kansas City Royals. “You do everything in your power to make sure it doesn’t happen. One thing I have been telling myself the past couple of days is that sitting around and feeling sorry for myself isn’t going to help any situation.”
The Angels, now without Stassi and O’Hoppe, are down to their third and fourth-string catchers, with Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach expected to split the starting duties. Beyond that duo, however, there isn’t another wave of depth to call upon if injuries continue to arise.
Edgar Quero, Los Angeles’ No. 3 top prospect, could potentially be an option if all else fails. But at 20 years old, the team likely won’t rush him to the majors, even though he is off to a strong start at double-A, slashing .385/.529/.538 with a 200 wRC+ in 11 games.
But no matter who fills in for O’Hoppe, they’ll have big shoes to fill for an emerging star that figures to be an integral piece of the organization’s future upon his return.
“Obviously, he’s gotten off to a great start and has a bright, bright future,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “For him and his career, and for us as an organization, the best thing for him to do is to get the thing fixed and get right. He has a chance to be a very good player.”
O’Hoppe, selected by the Phillies in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft, hit .275/.392/.496 with 15 home runs, 45 RBIs and a 144 wRC+ in 75 games at double-A before being shipped to the Angels last August. And it didn’t take him long to make a strong first impression.
The young phenom caught fire post-trade, hitting a remarkable .306/.473/.673 with 11 round-trippers and a 194 wRC+ over 29 contests with the Angels’ double-A affiliate. His strong showing earned him a late-season promotion, making his MLB debut on Sep. 28, 2022.
Los Angeles’ injured backstop is under team control through 2028 and won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2025 season.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
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