O'Hoppe learning how to deal with slow stretches, fatigue in 1st full year

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHIEM -- It’s been a tough month for Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, who fell into a slump beginning in early August when the Angels headed to his native New York for a three-game set against the Yankees.

O’Hoppe has batted .096 (8-for-83) with two homers and five RBIs in 23 games over that stretch, going back to Aug. 7. But he showed some signs of possibly breaking out of it with a solo homer on Tuesday night against the Dodgers. It came after O’Hoppe had an extended session with hitting coaches Johnny Washington and Tim Laker after Sunday’s game, when O’Hoppe was held out of the lineup. He was also on the bench on Thursday against the Rangers.

“After that game, we hopped in and worked on some things, felt really different,” O’Hoppe said. “So that was a good sign, you know? I mean, it wasn't beating my head against the wall like it was the past month. So I’m just looking to build on it.”

O’Hoppe wouldn’t get into detail on the changes he made, but he said that both coaches pointed out things that were different with his swing during his recent skid.

“They pointed a lot of things out to me that I didn't realize had changed over time,” O’Hoppe said. “There was a lot going on, so I don't want to get into the specifics of it, but I’m grateful for them and kind of keep leaning on them.”

But O’Hoppe, who has played in 119 games this year, including 113 appearances behind the plate, said that his recent issues weren’t caused by fatigue. He ranks third among all catchers in innings caught this year, but he believes he’s holding up fine.

“We're supposed to be tired right now in September,” O’Hoppe said. “I didn't just admit that I am tired. Don’t take it the wrong way, but I really do believe that we're supposed to be tired right now. We've been going since January. I trained in the offseason to try to push myself to be a little fatigued and then go hit and do my baseball stuff after that. So that's what I trained for. And obviously wouldn't have it any other way.”

Angels manager Ron Washington said he believes that O’Hoppe’s struggles have not been because of overuse and that this will only help him grow in the future. He considers it another lesson for a catcher to get through a first full season.

“We all are fatigued at this point of the year, and we all deny it at this point, but that's why your mental part comes in,” Washington said. “He's learning how to deal with that, because what he's been going through lately, it will put you in a mental strain. But I've always told him, ‘It's not how you start, it's how you finish.’ So as long as he finishes strong, you'll forget about all the stuff that happened.”

O’Hoppe agreed with Washington that this will only benefit him going forward. He said he hasn’t thought far enough ahead about changing his offseason routine, but he believes in his program to get ready for the season.

“What I've seen in my career so far is the first time going through anything is the hardest,” O’Hoppe said. “So I’m trying to be grateful for the struggle right now and learn from it, and try not to have it last too long.”