Sebastian Rivero's Seven-Hit Tear Snapped in the Worst Way, and the Angels' Season Is Taking Hits

Man, talk about a gut punch. Just when you think a player is absolutely dialed in, the baseball gods throw a curveball that nobody wants to catch. The Angels just announced catcher Sebastian Rivero is on the 10-day injured list, and not for some minor ding. The dude fractured his left hamate bone, and he's going under the knife. He's looking at about four weeks out, and honestly, the timing could not be worse for their squad.

The Toughest Way to End a Hot Streak

Imagine being on fire, absolutely seeing the ball like a beach ball, and then it all comes crashing down on one foul tip. That's exactly what happened to Rivero on Tuesday. He was having himself a day against the Houston Astros, already racking up two singles. He was in the middle of an insane streak, having connected for seven straight hits! Then, in the fifth inning, fouling off a pitch, he injured his hand and wrist area. Reports say he was in immense pain, and he had to leave the game. Fellow catcher Logan O'Hoppe stepped in, finishing Rivero's at-bat with a called strike three, and unfortunately, that strikeout got charged to Rivero, snapping that incredible hit streak. He had a CT scan on Wednesday confirming the fracture. What a brutal way to go from hero to the IL. Rivero, who's 27, was hitting .245 with eight RBIs in 24 games this season, and had played 35 games for the Angels over the past two years. This is a tough loss for them.

The Injury Bug Is Hitting Hard

Rivero's injury isn't an isolated incident for the Angels, either. Their medical staff must be working overtime. To fill Rivero's spot, they've called up Logan Porter from Triple-A Salt Lake. Porter recently signed a minor league contract with them after hitting the free-agent market. He was 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 some big league time before, with 16 games under his belt: 11 with the Kansas City Royals in 2023, four with San Francisco last season, and one with the Giants this season, hitting .184 with one homer and four RBIs overall. But wait, there's more. The Angels also had to transfer right-hander Jack Kochanowicz to the 60-day injured list to open up that 40-man roster spot for Porter. Kochanowicz is looking at Tommy John surgery soon. And just to really pile on, third baseman Yoan Moncada is set for right knee surgery next week, and first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who exited Tuesday's game with left calf tightness, wasn't even in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros. It's a real gauntlet for the Angels right now. The Angels are still playing the Astros on Wednesday. With all these injuries piling up, they're going to need some serious grit to keep things together. It's an early-season test of their depth and resilience, that's for sure.

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