The Los Angeles Angels received some good news recently in regard to Max Stassi and his family situation that held him out for the entirety of the 2023 season.
Max and his wife, Gabrielle, provided insight into the emotional challenges they had faced since April. Their continued fight with their son, Jackson, is both incredible, and deeply personal, as the Angels seemingly offered every resource they could.
Although there was no timeline on Stassi returning to the diamond, news came out that he’d like to return to game action.
Max Stassi is planning to play next season for the Angels, his agent Joel Wolfe said.
The catcher missed all of last season as his son Jackson was born prematurely and had health complications. The family and Jackson are “doing a lot better,” Wolfe said.
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) November 6, 2023
Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Michael Lorenzen, Kiké Hernández, Zack Weiss, Tony Kemp, Davis Daniel, Hank Conger, and Dallas Braden, make up a growing list of current and former big leaguers who sent their well-wishes via social media.
Stassi has the ability to then provide the Angels with a plus-bat behind the plate when given the at-bats, but it’s also fair to indicate the time he’s been away from Major League Baseball has developed some rust.
How Max Stassi will fit into Angels catcher carousel
The unfortunate part for Stassi in his return to the Angels is that Logan O’Hoppe was provided with a huge landing strip to grab a hold of the starting job.
His offensive upside is a clear upgrade from Stassi, and early returns with the pitching staff have been fantastic. O’Hoppe will get the bulk of the starts, with the veteran filling in during spot duty.
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