The Angels have been without top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe since he suffered a torn labrum in late April, with a timetable for return of four to six months. Fortunately for the Halos, however, O’Hoppe appears to be on track to return at the early end of that time frame, as the backstop told reporters (including The Athletic’s Sam Blum) that he’s set to go out on a rehab assignment next week. MLB.com adds that O’Hoppe is likely to require a maximum-length rehab assignment of 20 days as he attempts to build back up to game shape, though that should still line him up to make his return to the Angels before the calendar flips to September.
With fellow catcher Max Stassi having spent the entire season on the shelf due to hip issues, O’Hoppe’s injury has meant the Angels have relied on a catching tandem of Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach throughout most of the 2023 campaign. That duo has allowed the club to maintain roughly league-average performance behind the plate, as Angels catchers this season rank 16th in the majors with 1.4 fWAR while their wRC+ of 95 ranks 11th. O’Hoppe, who was a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport entering the season and slashed an impressive .283/.339/.547 (138 wRC+) in 59 trips to the plate prior to his injury, figures to provide the Angels with a major boost as they head into the stretch run of the 2023 campaign.
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