The Los Angeles Angels claimed catcher Tyler Heineman off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays following their game Wednesday.
The Angels are in the midst of an injury crisis behind the dish, with catchers Sebastian Rivero and Travis d’Arnaud both on the injured list. Starter Logan O’Hoppe has also made a trip to the injured list this season, so having someone to back him up will prove useful for the Halos.
O’Hoppe has been a little underwhelming over the past two seasons, but is beginning to pick things up in 2026. He has a .659 OPS on the season, but that mark is well above .800 in the month of June.
Heineman has spent most of his MLB career bouncing from the Blue Jays to other teams, as he has had three separate stints on the team.
He participated in 33 games for them this season, though his offense has been rather subpar. He has just a .410 OPS, hitting one homer and driving in six runs. His defense is his calling card, as he has a plus-seven fielding run value in his limited time on the field this season.
He has three blocks above average, three caught stealing above average and a plus-four framing value.
Heineman will be a goof defensive option for the Angels at catcher, as O’Hoppe is yet to provide much defensive value this season. His minus-nine blocks above average and minus-seven framing value are among the worst in MLB.
Will Tyler Heineman Stay After the Angels’ Injured Players Return?
Whether or not Heineman stays with the Angels beyond the next few weeks entirely depends on whether he can perform well enough on offense.
A .410 OPS through 33 games certainly won’t get the job done, and he’ll heave to pull it up near league average to warrant his spot in the team. His defense can’t be argued with, though, so if the Angels value his glove that much he could get away with posting an OPS around .600 .
His next opportunity to make a difference for the Angels comes against the Athletics, who the Angels begin a four-game series against on the road Thursday. The first game of that series comes at 6:40 p.m.
Do you think Tyler Heineman will stay in Anaheim?
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