NEW YORK — The Angels broke their pattern of keeping the same pitchers and catchers together.
Logan O’Hoppe broke it.
The Angels’ catcher went into Manager Ron Washington’s office and asked to catch right-hander Kyle Hendricks on Tuesday. Hendricks had worked with Travis d’Arnaud in 11 of his first 13 games.
Washington relented, after checking with Hendricks, “because (O’Hoppe) is our guy.”
“We’re gonna give him a chance to catch them all, but we’ve got to do it when we think it’s right,” Washington said. “Right now, Kyle thinks O’Hoppe is ready to be back there with him.”
D’Arnaud had been catching Hendricks and Yusei Kikuchi, and O’Hoppe had been catching the other three starters. When Mike Trout was on the injured list, the Angels could still get O’Hoppe some at-bats as the DH when d’Arnaud was catching.
Since Trout’s return on May 30, O’Hoppe has been on the bench two of every five games. Perhaps not coincidentally, O’Hoppe is hitting .093 in 10 games since Trout came back. O’Hoppe has struck out 12 times and he doesn’t have an extra-base hit or a walk in that span.
O’Hoppe wouldn’t go so far as to say the slight reduction in his playing time has caused the slump, but he acknowledged it could a part of the story.
“I think consistent at-bats always help,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds with who I’ll be catching and how much I’m playing. It’s not up to me. It’s above my pay grade, but I do like being in a groove. I do like having consistent at-bats and being able to go 0 for 4 and know you have an adjustment you can make the next day. My best adjustments that have locked me in have come after 0-for-4 days. It’s tougher to make that adjustment with a day off in the middle. But if having those days off in the middle are going to help us win games and help our guys on the mound, then I’m going to do it.”
O’Hoppe added that the bad at-bats are hitting him harder these days.
“I’m getting a little more emotional now after each at-bat, and I think that’s subconsciously knowing I may not have another couple at-bats for a day or two,” O’Hoppe said. “I think I put more weight on the at-bats knowing I’m not getting them every day.”
O’Hoppe emphasized that he doesn’t want to come off as bitter about the playing time situation.
“By no means am I pissed off about it,” he said. “Not at all. If we’re winning 1-0 games in New York, then I’m over it.”
It’s worth noting that O’Hoppe went into a significant slump last August, and the general consensus at that time – although denied by O’Hoppe – was a part of that was fatigue from playing too many games. Last season O’Hoppe started 121 games, third most of any major league catcher. He’s on pace this year to start 104.
Washington scoffed at the suggestion that a few more off days have caused O’Hoppe’s slump at the plate. He also said that d’Arnaud is now going to catch some of the pitchers that O’Hoppe was catching – like Jack Kochanowicz on Wednesday – so this switch may not end up getting O’Hoppe any more at-bats.
Washington said O’Hoppe’s main issue at the plate is his discipline.
“He’s in a chase mode right now,” Washington said. “But last night he stung some balls pretty good, so he may be getting back to it.”
O’Hoppe hit a ball to the warning track in right field on Monday night. He also hit a 104 mph ground ball.
Washington said he thinks another issue is simply that O’Hoppe is still learning how to handle all the demands of being a major league catcher.
To make the point, he shuffled through reams of paper scouting reports on his desk.
“Bro, look at the paperwork,” Washington said. “We’re killing trees, Dog. Every day is new stuff. And he’s a part of all this, as a young catcher.”
NOTES
A day after rookie second baseman Christian Moore threw out a runner at the plate in extra innings, Washington complimented the 22-year-old’s poise to make that play. “He did it with ease,” Washington said. “He had a nice rhythm, and that’s what it takes. He didn’t panic. It’s easy for me to sit here and say that now, because he did it. But usually when the kid’s that young, something goes wrong. He might have thrown it a little high, might do it to the opposite side, but he put it right where it was supposed to be. And we needed it, and he did it.” …
Washington said that closer Kenley Jansen asked to pitch on Sunday in Baltimore. Jansen ended up pitching the eighth inning of a game the Angels trailed by seven runs. That mattered days later, because Jansen was also required in Monday’s extra-inning game, and relievers generally don’t pitch three days in a row.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 3-8, 5.53 ERA) at Yankees (LHP Ryan Yarbrough, 3-1, 3.96 ERA), Wednesday, 4:05 p.m. PT, FDSN West, 830 AM
