SEATTLE — When Logan O’Hoppe saw his name in the cleanup spot in the Angels’ lineup on Tuesday, it barely registered.
And that was progress.
“Seeing that was the least ‘Oh wow’ I’ve felt about it in my career so far,” the Angels catcher said. “It’s just another day.”
Angels manager Ron Washington said back in May, when injuries first caused him to scramble for middle of the order hitters, that he didn’t want young players like O’Hoppe to hit in the premium lineup spots because he didn’t want them to change their approach.
On Tuesday, when Washington put O’Hoppe in the cleanup spot for the third time this season, he admitted that it’s no longer as much of a concern.
“Now I’m not so cynical about putting him in that spot as I was earlier in the year,” Washington said. “I don’t think he’s a fourth-place hitter, but I’m not afraid to put him there if I have to. I just just want them to grow. They don’t have control of their minds. They all feel like when they’re someplace special, they’ve got to do something special. All you really want is just be who they are.
“I’m not saying you won’t see him there, but it certainly won’t be where I’m penciling him in there every day.”
Washington said it could happen more frequently going forward as the Angels reassemble their lineup with the pieces returning.
Luis Rengifo was activated from the injured list on Tuesday, and he went into the No. 2 spot. Mike Trout could be back soon, and he’s likely to hit in the No. 3 spot.
If that leads to O’Hoppe hitting fourth, he’s ready for the responsibility.
“The more it happens, the more comfortable I get with it,” O’Hoppe said. “I think that’s anywhere in the lineup. … I think as the year has gone on and the hits have come and the at-bats have gotten better, I feel like that’s easier to do.”
O’Hoppe came into Tuesday’s game hitting .277 with 14 home runs and an .800 OPS, including an .899 OPS over his last 40 games.
“When the at-bats are good and I’m more convicted in what I’m doing, then it seems to not matter where I’m hitting,” O’Hoppe said. “Or at least I don’t think about it.”
The Angels’ plan for Trout got more murky after Trout was pulled with left knee soreness just two innings into the first game of his rehab assignment on Tuesday night at Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels announced that he was day to day.
Trout started in center field and handled three routine fly balls. He struck out looking in his only plate appearance.
The three-time American League MVP had been scheduled for five innings in center field on Tuesday, followed by a DH game on Wednesday and seven innings in center field on Thursday.
Manager Ron Washington conceded before Tuesday’s game that all of that was subject to change, though. Trout, who spoke to reporters in Salt Lake City before the game, said that he wasn’t sure how many games he would need.
“Take it one game at a time,” Trout said. “See how I am. See how I recover from playing tonight, and go from there.”
Trout has been out since early May after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
The Angels designated infielder Keston Hiura for assignment to open a spot for Rengifo. …
The Angels haven’t named a starter for Thursday night’s home game against Oakland. Washington said it could be left-hander Kenny Rosenberg or right-hander Roansy Contreras, depending who is used in the bullpen in the previous games. …
Washington was encouraged by Taylor Ward’s last couple of games. He had four hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in nine plate appearances. “Hopefully what we saw last night, he can continue to build on and get back to what we know he’s capable of being,” Washington said. Last week Ward admitted that getting hit in the helmet by a pitch earlier in May was affecting his approach at the plate. …
The Angels set a record by signing 11th-round pick Trey Gregory-Alford to a reported bonus of $1,957,500. Since the start of the bonus pool system, it’s the largest bonus ever paid to a player picked after the fourth round. The Colorado high school right-hander was one of the top prep pitchers in the country, but the Angels were able to get him so late because other teams were leery of his commitment to the University of Virginia. …
A day after Zach Neto scored a critical insurance run by coming home when the ball got away from Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. “Sometimes he plays with his head up and sometimes he plays with his head down,” Washington said. “We just got to get him to play more with his head up.”
Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 3-10, 5.20 ERA) at Mariners (RHP Luis Castillo, 8-10, 3.55 ERA), Wednesday, 12:40 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
