Impact Less than a week ago, O'Hoppe looked as though he would open the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, but Max Stassi's (hip) move to the injured list has not only freed up a spot on the Opening Day roster for the 23-year-old backstop, but also a perhaps a temporary run as the Angels' No. 1 catcher. Nevin hasn't outlined how he plans to divvy up the starts at catcher between O'Hoppe and Matt Thaiss while Stassi is out, but given that the 27-year-old Thaiss owns an unremarkable .291 wOBA over 278 career MLB plate appearances and is coming off a poor spring at the plate, the Angels may be motivated to give the younger prospect a chance to prove he belongs in the majors. On the heels of a poor season at the dish, Stassi likely didn't have much job security prior to getting hurt, so if gets off to a hot start, O'Hoppe could hold down the No. 1 gig for good even after Stassi returns to full health.
MARCH 30, 2023 • ROTOWIRE