Angels rookie O’Hoppe forced from game by shoulder pain

NEW YORK — Los Angeles Angels rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe was forced from Thursday’s 9-3 loss to the New York Yankees by a recurrence of intense left shoulder pain after a swing in the ninth inning.

“I felt it pop, come out the back, and will be evaluated the next couple days,” O’Hoppe said. “Let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.”

O’Hoppe was acquired from Philadelphia last August in the trade for outfielder Brandon Marsh and made his big league debut Sept. 28. The 23-year-old, considered a top AL Rookie of the Year candidate. is hitting .283 with four homers and 13 RBI.

He initially hurt the shoulder during Monday’s 5-4 win at Boston, but stayed in that game.

“I think in Boston it freaked me out more,” O’Hoppe said. “This time, it hurt a little bit more just because I knew it was the same thing. It didn’t feel as bad, this one, but I was just more aware.”

He lined a 2-2 sweeper from Yankees pitcher Greg Weissert into the left-field corner, fell to the ground and grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand.

O’Hoppe ran to first, getting a single rather than a double, bent over and smacked his helmet into the ground in frustration. In pain, he remained bent over and covered his eyes with a hand as an athletic trainer and manager Phil Nevin came out to meet him at first, then put his helmet back on and walked to the dugout and into the clubhouse after his first three-hit game in the big leagues.

On Monday at Boston, O’Hoppe fouled off a 3-2 pitch from Brayan Bello on the ninth pitch of his first-inning at-bat and fell, grasping his left shoulder. After a delay of almost two minutes, O’Hoppe remained in the game, fouled off another pitch and then singled.

“It hadn’t happened before,” O’Hoppe said.

He went 1 for 4 and came to New York, where the Long Island native estimated hundreds of friends and family would see him play. O’Hoppe went 4 for 8 in the three-game series.

O’Hoppe was returning with the Angels to California after the game.

“It feels all right,” he said. “Just haven’t moved it too much. Not too much pain.”