Max Stassi has surgery to repair torn labrum in his hip

Angels catcher Max Stassi had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, the team announced on Wednesday. The typical return to play from such a procedure, per the team, is four to six months, putting his availability for Opening Day in 2021 in question.

The torn labrum was revealed in an MRI exam at the end of the season, the Angels said.

Stassi had surgery at the end of the 2019 season on his right hip, and responded with a strong, healthy season at the plate. He was one of the rare bright spots in a losing season for the Angels, hitting .278/.352/.533 with seven home runs in 31 games.

It was a fantastic turnaround for the 29-year-old catcher, who was just 3-for-42 (.071) in 2019 after the Angels acquired him at the trade deadline in July.

In addition to the renewed health after last year’s surgery, Stassi credited swing changes that increased his confidence at the plate. From Rhett Bollinger at MLB.com in August:

“The short version would be I’m hunched over a little more over the plate,” Stassi said. “Kind of a posture thing, so I’m able to get into my back hip and keep my posture level, versus getting too uphill. My lead arm is now down, so I can work directly towards the ball. And then, I’m just trying to rotate as much as I can.”

Stassi is eligible for salary arbitration this winter, and with just over four years of service time would be eligible for free agency after the 2022 season.