Chase Silseth had cruised through the first three innings of Saturday night’s game against the New York Mets. But after allowing a pair of baserunners in the fourth, an error by Los Angeles Angels first baseman Trey Cabbage wound up with disastrous unintended consequences.
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe had a chance to record an easy out when Jeff McNeil attempted to steal second base, but Francisco Lindor did not make an attempt to steal third. O’Hoppe instead threw to Cabbage at first base, Lindor advanced and in an attempt to get Lindor out at third, Cabbage lasered a ball to third base.
He miscalculated the throw, and instead hit Silseth in the back of the head. The ball rolled away, Lindor scored and when the dust settled, Silseth had collapsed on the ground. He received immediate medical attention and was removed from the game and taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
He left under his own power — an always positive sign when it comes to potential head injuries — and manager Phil Nevin provided a positive update on the young Angels starter after the game, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“He was talking the whole time,” Nevin said. “He was wondering if he covered the right base. Not to make light of it. It’s a scary moment, for sure. He was talking and alert. That part is good.”
The Angels have not yet placed Silseth on the injured list as their series finale is underway on Sunday morning and will continue to evaluate the 23-year-old, via MLB:
Silseth, who was hit in the head on a throw from first to third in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game, was treated at a local hospital before being released Saturday night. He was back at the ballpark on Sunday, but was still dealing with some swelling and headaches. He wasn’t placed on the injured list, but the Angels will continue to evaluate him.
The Angels do have some flexibility if they want to continue evaluating Silseth without placing him on the IL. With Shohei Ohtani out for the rest of the year as a pitcher, the Angels could go to a five-man rotation of Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Lucas Giolito, Griffin Canning and Tyler Anderson.
But if Silseth is healthy, his recent performance suggests he is not only ready to be a full-time starter, but could be among the better on the Angels rotation.
Mike Trout resting to recovery
Now that Mike Trout is back on the IL with a fractured hamate bone, the Angels have to decide his best of course of action to make a full recovery. This time, they are giving him at least 10 days of complete rest before progressing with his rehab.