Cedric Mullins, the Orioles’ heart fielder and first leadoff man, exited Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians within the eighth inning with a proper abductor groin pressure, supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned.
Mullins pulled into first base slowly on a floor ball to shortstop, stutter-stepping into the bag behind Amed Rosario’s throw. He exited the sport with assistant athletic coach Mark Shires at his aspect, and Terrin Vavra changed Mullins within the lineup whereas Ryan McKenna moved from proper area to heart.
“It’s the last thing you want to see,” Hyde mentioned. “He’s a huge part of our team, and if we’re gonna miss him for a little while, we’ll see, but if we have to, then other guys step up, and this is part of the game. We’ve been pretty fortunate so far this year, and these things happen.”
Mullins is hitting .264 with an .839 OPS whereas showing in all however considered one of Baltimore’s first 54 video games, lacking a contest final week towards the New York Yankees for what Hyde mentioned had been “personal reasons.”
The 28-year-old has performed in all however 10 of the Orioles’ video games over the previous three seasons. In 2021, he recorded the franchise’s first 30-homer, 30-steal season, representing Baltimore within the All-Star Game and ending ninth in American League Most Valuable Player voting.
“You hate to see anybody go down,” McKenna mentioned. “Cedric is one of the biggest pieces of this team and one of the biggest drivers of us winning this year and this winning season. It’s going to be a loss for our team.”
Should Mullins require an injured listing stint, McKenna is seemingly the likeliest candidate to take over in heart. Austin Hays might additionally transfer from left to heart, although Hyde values his capacity to play in entrance of Camden Yards’ deep left area wall.
The Orioles plan to have right-hander Austin Voth begin or pitch bulk innings in Wednesday’s collection finale with Cleveland, however inserting Mullins on the IL might allow them to name up left-hander Cole Irvin to make the beginning. Baltimore’s No. 3 starter to open the season, Irvin is fewer than 15 days faraway from being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, that means solely a participant occurring the IL would permit for him to return to the majors. Because of the league’s 13-pitcher restrict, the Orioles would wish to take away one other pitcher from the roster and convey up a place participant in the event that they go that route.
Regardless, they would wish a place participant in Mullins’ place, probably one able to taking part in heart or at the least the outfield, and the membership has a gap on its 40-man roster that permits for quite a lot of choices. Outfield prospects Colton Cowser (left quadriceps) and Kyle Stowers (proper shoulder) are on Norfolk’s IL, making Daz Cameron maybe probably the most logical match if Baltimore seeks a middle fielder; he would must be added to the 40-man roster. The Orioles might additionally select to deliver again infield prospect Joey Ortiz and use a mix of McKenna, Vavra, Ryan O’Hearn and probably Jorge Mateo to fill Mullins’ area within the outfield.
“If we lose him, it’s gonna be a blow,” beginning pitcher Tyler Wells mentioned. “But at the same time, too, I think that we have a lot of resilient guys in here that’ll step up for him.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com