That Foul Ball Broke Rivero's Hand, And The Angels' Injury List Is Getting Out Of Control

Man, you gotta feel for Sebastian Rivero. One minute, he's absolutely raking, hitting everything thrown at him, and the next, his whole season just gets slammed to a halt by a stupid foul tip. This dude fractured his left hamate bone on Tuesday night against the Astros, and it's a brutal break. He's already on the 10-day injured list, and the word is he's looking at about four weeks out after surgery. Just when you think you've seen it all, baseball throws another curveball, right?

A Hot Bat Gone Cold, Way Too Fast

Rivero was having himself a night on Tuesday, seriously. He snagged two singles before the fifth inning even rolled around, extending a crazy streak of seven straight hits. Seven straight! That's the kind of run that gets everyone buzzing. But then, it happened. He fouled off a pitch in the fifth inning during their 10-1 home win, and that's all it took. The pain was apparently immense, and he had to come out, with Logan O'Hoppe stepping in. Poor O'Hoppe even finished the at-bat with a called strike three, so the strikeout got charged to Rivero, snapping that incredible hit streak. Talk about a gut punch. Rivero, at 27 years old, was batting .245 with eight RBIs in 24 games this season, and he'd played 35 games for them over the last two years. This is a massive blow to his rhythm, no doubt.

The Injury Carousel Behind The Plate And Beyond

With Rivero out, the Angels had to make moves fast. They recalled catcher Logan Porter from Triple-A Salt Lake. Porter recently inked a minor league deal after hitting the free agent market. He'd been batting .241 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 17 games with the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento. Porter, 30, has seen a bit of big-league action before, playing 11 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2023, four with San Francisco last season, and one with the Giants this season. His big league line sits at .184 with one homer and four RBIs. To make room for Porter, they shifted right-hander Jack Kochanowicz to the 60-day injured list. And here's where it gets even crazier: Kochanowicz is actually set for Tommy John surgery, something the club revealed on Tuesday. But wait, there's more. The Angels also dropped news on Tuesday that third baseman Yoan Moncada will be undergoing right knee surgery sometime next week. And if that wasn't enough, first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who left Tuesday's game because of left calf tightness, wasn't even in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros. Seriously, what is going on with this team's health? The Angels are staring down a lineup that's suddenly decimated by injuries, and they're still playing the Astros on Wednesday. With Rivero out for a month, Kochanowicz needing Tommy John, Moncada prepping for knee surgery, and Schanuel sidelined, what's left for them to look forward to this week besides just trying to stay afloat? It's a tough break, and you have to wonder how long they can keep patching up the holes before the whole thing sinks.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.