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The Los Angeles Angels received a critical update on top catcher prospect Logan O'Hoppe this week that will have Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani very pleased.
O'Hoppe reportedly started to have a light catch. He followed that with another throwing workout before an off day. He will throw again on Friday or Saturday before the Angels re-evaluate the shoulder and consider ramping up exercises, according to Sam Blum of the Athletic.
O'Hoppe was excited to be back on the field working out, and he is happy to be making progress.
“I woke up with a smile on my face the last two days. It feels like I can actually do something,” the catcher said.
Logan O'Hoppe has been out since late April with a torn labrum and had surgery to repair it. The timeline on the injury is four to six months, and it is unknown if he will be able to make it back this year. The throwing exercises are a great sign for the young catcher, and the hope to ramp up will be music to the ears of superstars Ohtani and Trout.
If the Angels are going to make a playoff run this year, they would like to have the rookie back in the lineup, as he was hitting .283 with 16 RBI's in just 16 games before the injury. They are in win-now mode, with Ohtani becoming a free agent after the season, and the team needs to impress him with success if he is going to sign a mega deal in LA.
The Angels could certainly use that offensive support back, as they look to climb up in the AL West standings. Despite their positive record as the All-Star break approaches, they will need all the help they can get to fend off divisional foes Houston Astros and Texas Rangers down the stretch.