This catcher seems to have gotten into a strange habit of getting hit in the head. In May, he got hit hard by Jorbit Vivas’s swing against the Yankees. Now, as if on repeat, Jacob Wilson’s warm-up backswing did the same thing. When it comes to the Angels, Logan O’Hoppe’s head, the baseball gods must have a strange sense of humor.

During the top of the seventh inning of the Angels’ 4–3 win over Oakland on Sunday, A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson hit O’Hoppe right on the chin with a warm-up backswing. The catcher fell to the ground in pain and had to leave the game right away. And later, he was taken away from the game.

Ray Montgomery, the interim manager, provided an update on his injury. The skipper said,  “He’s doing OK, but we’re obviously running tests on him.” “He seems to be OK right now. We’ll see what happens. They have to go through the whole protocol and be really careful with that stuff.” The Angels are not taking any chances with their backstop’s health. They are following the complete concussion protocol as O’Hoppe gets more medical attention.

The 25-year-old was putting on a decent show at the plate. He has a .217 batting average, 19 home runs, and 43 RBIs. O’Hoppe also has a flair for the spectacular; in August, he hit a career-high five RBIs against the Dodgers and became the first Angels catcher to hit home runs in four straight games in April. So, when he left the diamond, it became a worrisome situation. In this game, he was 0-for-2 with two hard-hit outs and a walk before leaving the diamond.

Even though the crash was scary, Montgomery quickly made it clear that Wilson was not to blame. Montgomery remarked, “It was completely unintentional. And he was as apologetic as anybody. He already felt terrible about it, standing there listening to him. So certainly no ill will towards him. But yeah, you do have to be careful with it because it can obviously inflict a lot of damage.” For now, O’Hoppe remains day-to-day as the Angels await further test results.

The unsettling moment may have thrown the Angels off track, but the team was really strong. Instead, the Angels won it and snapped a 3-game skid.

From injury scare to comeback victory

The Angels got through a rocky phase in the series and got a much-needed win, ending their losing streak with a tough 4–3 win. They kept to their game plan even though they had a rough start. This demonstrates their strength when trying to overcome a slump.

Before going to the bench in the seventh, O’Hoppe quietly helped rookie Mitch Farris have a great game. He pitched for more than six innings and gave up only two runs, both on home runs in the third and seventh. His solid presence behind the plate helped keep the club calm and in the game.

Farris appreciated the guidance he got from him. He said, “He’s great.” “I can’t ask for a better catcher. He just gave me the confidence and I leaned on him throughout the start and throughout the week, too. He’s just awesome.” 

After O’Hoppe left, Travis d’Arnaud came in and started the winning rally. He hit a ground-rule double off Osvaldo Bido to break the tie in the eighth inning and put the Angels ahead. Kenley Jansen then closed the door in the ninth, keeping the hard-fought win.

It’s that kind of teamwork and timely help from everyone on the team that makes baseball so human. Fans of the Angels must have loved witnessing the team come together when it meant most.