Blaze Alexander (knee) not in Tuesday’s lineup

Alexander has had a scorching June and came up big for the Orioles on Friday. In addition to throwing out James Wood at home in the fourth inning to keep the Nationals off the board, Alexander also drove in two of the Orioles’ three runs on the night when he singled home Tyler O’Neill and Jackson Holliday in the bottom of the fourth to give the O’s an early 2-0 lead. He’s currently slashing .385/.441/.615 in June with two homers and 11 RBI.

Alexander was forced to leave Monday’s game, leading to Leody Taveras playing third base for the first time as a pro. He is batting ninth against the Angels.

Alexander was 0-for-1 prior to leaving the contest in Los Angeles. His departure forced outfielder Leody Taveras into action at the hot corner since the Orioles were already playing without Jackson Holliday (groin) for the second straight contest. The versatile 27-year-old is likely headed for imaging to determine the severity of the issue. There should be an update on his status leading into Tuesday’s contest.

Alexander has been swinging a hot bat for much of the season and has recently taken over the starting third base job from Coby Mayo. The 27-year-old has gone 21-for-48 (.438) with two home runs, nine RBI, and two steals in his last 15 games. He should be added in most formats while he’s swinging the bat like this.

Alexander was a .237 hitter in 451 plate appearances over two seasons in Arizona, but he’s at .310 right now, and his improved exit velocity numbers largely back it up. He’s also 8-for-11 stealing bases after going 7-for-14 the last two years. He’s probably still not worth picking up in 10- and 12-team mixed leagues, but those in deeper formats could consider him while he’s playing regularly.

Alexander made things interesting by socking a run-scoring single into left field off Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo in the eighth inning. The 26-year-old utility specialist has put together an encouraging Orioles debut, hitting .286/.340/.400 with two homers, 18 RBI and seven steals through 56 games.

Mayo plated the third, fourth and fifth runs of a six-run first inning with a wall-scraping double off the Green Monster. The 337-foot fly would have been an out in a lot of parks, but it was unplayable at Fenway. Mayo is currently hitting .203/.272/.,379 with 23 RBI in 169 plate appearances. It figured that he’d lose considerable playing time with Jackson Holliday back, but it hasn’t happened thus far, mostly because Jeremiah Jackson is in the midst of a lone slump that has sent his stock plummeting in Baltimore. Mayo has started seven of eight games since returning from a four-game absence due to back discomfort. Jackson has been in the lineup for just two of those games.

Mayo got the Orioles on the board and evened the score at a run apiece with his 400-foot (110.3 mph EV) solo shot off of Patrick Corbin in the fourth inning. That would be the extent of the Orioles’ offense. He struck out in his only other at-bat in the contest, finishing the night 1-for-2. On the season, the 24-year-old is slashing a miserable .200/.273/.370 with six homers and 19 RBI.

Mayo is back at DH and hitting fifth following a four-game absence due to lower back discomfort that cropped up last weekend. The 24-year-old former top prospect has been in a groove at the dish recently, hitting .292 (7-for-24) with one homer and three RBI over his last seven games. He’ll need to produce over an extended period before fantasy managers are ready to buy in again, but it’s never really been a talent issue with Mayo. A little bit of confidence could go a long way towards helping him finally reach his potential.

Mayo remains on the bench as he continues to deal with lower back discomfort that caused him to be scratched from Sunday’s doubleheader against the Tigers. The timing is unfortunate for the former top prospect as he was just starting to look comfortable at the dish. There’s a chance he requires a trip to the injured list if he’s unable to play later this week. It’ll be utility infielder Blaze Alexander handling the hot corner on Tuesday night in his place.