O'Hoppe's Health Crucial for Angels' Turnaround

It's April 26th, from first pitch to the final out.

This is MLB News today, powered by AI.

I'm Cory with the story.

Logan O'Hop, the angel's 24-year-old catcher and rising star, just returned from the

seven-day concussion list after a backswing smacked.

His head, he's a cornerstone of their young core, slashing well early last season before

injuries hit.

The halos designated backup, Chad Wallach for assignment to make room, sending him to

Triple A Salt Lake.

Earlier this year, O'Hop dealt with another setback, but he's bounced back before like

in 2023, when a torn labor minute shoulder.

Sidemind him four to six months.

He still returned late that season, showing power at the plate.

Angels GM, Perry Menasian, highlights him alongside Zach Nito and Nolan Channual as

the future.

Fans and rivals took notice, with the Cubs aggressively chasing O'Hop at last year's

trade deadline to fix their wheat catching spot.

Chicago's backstuffs ranked dead last in production, but the Angels shut it down firm,

betting on contention down the line.

It underscores LA's faith in their cheap, controllable talent through at least 2028.

Meanwhile, the Angels tapped depth like Sebastian Rivera and Wallach during catching crunches,

including when Travis Darno got concussed too.

Their pitching staff struggles with a sky-high ERA and injuries to guys like Hunter Brown, contributing

to a rough 10-18 start this season.

O'Hopby's health keeps him pivotal, as Menasian plans off season moves to build around this

group, eyeing payroll tweaks after a 99 loss year.

If he stays on the field, he could spark the turnaround the halos desperately need.