OC Register: Angels catcher Max Stassi confident he can rebound at the plate

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Max Stassi has come far enough in his career that he’s confident he can do it again.

Stassi rose from life as a career backup to being one of the better hitting catchers in the majors, so his slow finish to this season doesn’t concern him.

“I’ve had a lot of failures and I’ve been able to look at myself and make adjustments going forward,” Stassi said. “Sometimes they show up. Sometimes they don’t. I’m gonna find a way eventually.”

Stassi, 30, was one of the feel-good stories in an otherwise disappointing season for the Angels. After a breakthrough 2020 season in which he hit .278 with an .886 OPS and seven home runs in just 31 games, Stassi got off to another hot start this season.

Although Stassi had two separate stints on the injured list in the first half, he still produced a .307 average with a .919 OPS and 10 homers in his first 52 games. The major league average OPS for a catcher is .696.

Since then, though, Stassi has hit .146 with a .477 OPS and one homer in his last 29 games. His OPS for the season is still .757, even after the slump.

Manager Joe Maddon said he sees Stassi’s swing has changed slightly, so he’s not as “direct to the ball” now.

Stassi reworked his swing dramatically after hitting .167 with a .446 OPS in 2019, and it clearly made a difference. Now, he said he knows the keys to getting back there.

“It’s just getting back to that foundation,” Stassi said. “I’ve changed up my drill work to hopefully fix some of my flaws. But I feel like the foundation is there. It’s just getting it to show up consistently night in and night out.”

Maddon also suggested that fatigue could be an issue for a catcher, especially one who only played 31 games last year, but Stassi doesn’t buy that.

“Catching takes a toll on you, but you still have to find a way,” Stassi said. “There’s other catchers who are hitting the last couple months. I don’t use it as an excuse. It’s just part of the job.”

Stassi is arbitration-eligible for one more season, and then due to become a free agent after the 2022 season.

PLAN FOR DETMERS

Left-hander Reid Detmers was activated from the COVID list and optioned to Triple-A on Thursday.

Detmers is scheduled to pitch on Monday or Tuesday for Triple-A Salt Lake, and the Angels will then decide if he will pitch in the majors next weekend in Seattle. The decision could hinge on whether Shohei Ohtani is going to make a final start on the final day of the season.

“If the opportunity presents itself at the very end (to have Detmers pitch in the majors), we’ll do that,” Maddon said. “And if it doesn’t, we’re kind of satisfied with what we see.”

Detmers, 22, was the Angels’ first-round draft pick in 2020. He has made four major-league starts, allowing 15 earned runs in 19 innings.

RAMOS GETS THE CALL

Right-hander AJ Ramos was called up from Triple-A, allowing the former All-Star closer to return to the big leagues for the first time this season. Ramos had only pitched three games since 2018.

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From 2012-17, Ramos had a 2.88 ERA, pitching mostly with the Miami Marlins. He was an All-Star in 2016, when he recorded 40 saves.

The Angels signed Ramos to a minor league deal just before the season started, and he had a 5.26 ERA in 52 innings at Triple-A.

OTHER MOVES

The Angels optioned left-hander Sam Selman and right-hander José Marte, which created spots for Ramos and right-hander James Hoyt, who returned to the majors.

In order to create 40-man spots for Detmers and Ramos, the Angels moved Dylan Bundy and Justin Upton to the 60-day injured list. That officially ends the season for both players.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP José Suarez, 7-8, 3.67 ERA) vs. Mariners (RHP Logan Gilbert, 6-5, 4.74), Friday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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