Los Angeles Angels star-hopeful catcher Logan O’Hoppe is in the midst of a difficult week in the dog days of August. In seven games since Aug. 7, O’Hoppe is 0-for-28 with three walks and 13 strikeouts. And if things couldn’t get worse than that, he compounded it by leaving Monday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays early due to knee soreness.
O’Hoppe was back in the lineup on Tuesday night, but went 0-for-4 with three punch-outs. And with an injury like knee soreness — especially for a catcher — precautions generally need to be taken. But O’Hoppe has made it known in the early stages of his career that he is tough, and has no problem playing through pain or minor injuries.
However, this situation seems to be a little different, as O’Hoppe seems to have no difficulties from Monday’s soreness, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
O’Hoppe said on Tuesday that his knee felt “good walking around, no pain or anything going up steps.” He also said he didn’t undergo any further tests.
“As far as being on the field, nothing’s gonna change,” O’Hoppe said. “If I’m out there, I’m not gonna pull back. If I’m out there, I’m giving everything I have. People say that’s not smart, but I really don’t care. I’d rather not be here than not give everything I have.”
Angels manager Ron Washington, though, tends not to use O’Hoppe’s mentality when things like this happen. Instead, he focuses on what the doctors say and how O’Hoppe looks, as he knows the way young players are about injuries.
“Just give him time off,” Washington said. “I’m not concerned about how he feels, about what’s going on. Sometimes, when you get kids like that, you’ve got to make decisions for them, because if you talk to him, no matter how he feels he thinks he should be there every day.”
The Angels need to do what they can to protect O’Hoppe, as he is certainly a long-term investment. But part of developing players is letting them play, even if that means letting them play through some soreness. They’ve chosen that path this time around.
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