Blaze

Alexander

Alexander has been on the injured list since July 16th, when he suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch. The fielding drills obviously involved him fielding balls with his glove hand, which is his left hand, and even though they weren’t hit hard off the bat, it’s a nice step in the right direction. There is still no stated timeline for his return.

Alexander suffered the injury during Sunday’s game against the Royals as he was drilled by an inside pitch. No word yet on how long he’ll be shelved for, other than manager Craig Albernaz saying he’s “going to miss some time”. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take his spot on the Orioles’ active roster.

Alexander is “going to miss some time” according to manager Craig Albernaz The 27-year-old has been a quality contributor for the Orioles since the start of June, but now will assuredly be placed on the injured list prior to Friday’s game, and Baltimore will have to turn to Norfolk for a replacement.

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 takes a seat following an early exit from Monday’s series opener with right knee muscle contusion. It’ll be Coby Mayo at the hot corner in his place. The versatile 27-year-old is day-to-day heading into Wednesday’s series finale.

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.