Dylan

Beavers

It’s the first time Beavers has hit since landing on the shelf with a low-grade oblique strain back on May 13. The 24-year-old rookie outfielder figures to be ready to jump back into Baltimore’s lineup at some point in early-to-mid June.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz offered a positive update after Beavers hit the injured list prior to Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with an oblique strain. The 24-year-old rookie outfielder is facing a multi-week absence, but it sounds like there’s optimism it won’t be a lengthy stint on the injured list.

This felt like a possibility after the news earlier today that Beavers had an MRI on his oblique. It’s unfortunate timing since Beavers was starting to play more often, and it could open the door for Colton Cowser or Heston Kjerstad (hamstring), currently rehabbing in Triple-A, to push for a starting job in the outfield.

The Yankees are throwing left-hander Max Fried, so it’s likely that Beavers would have sat anyway, but the team also sent him for an MRI on his oblique and is “going over the results.” That’s a bit of an ominous sign. Leody Taveras will start in centerfield and bat sixth on Wednesday, but there remains a possibility that Beavers could land on the IL. That would open up playing time for Colton Cowser or potentially Heston Kjerstad (hamstring), who is rehabbing in Triple-A right now.

Colton Cowser will patrol center field and hit seventh in his place. Oblique issues can be complicated matters, which is why the Orioles aren’t going to take any chances here. The 24-year-old former top prospect, who is hitting .243/.331/.369 with two homers, 12 RBI and three steals in 33 games this season, will likely undergo evaluation and imaging to determine the severity of the issue and whether he’ll require a trip to the injured list.

Beavers led off the third inning with a double and scored the Orioles’ first run on an RBI single off the bat of Gunnar Henderson. He then came through with the biggest hit of the day, a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning that proved to be the difference in the contest. On the season, the 24-year-old outfielder is now hitting .243/.331/.369 with two homers and 12 RBI in his 119 plate appearances.

This is now Beavers’ fourth straight start and his seventh start in the Orioles’ last nine games. The results haven’t been tremendous; he’s 4-for-16 with two RBI, three runs scored, and a 4/4 K/BB ratio in his last six games. However, he is starting to play more often and showed decent power and speed in Triple-A last year, so fantasy managers should at least keep an eye on his results over the rest of the week before waivers.

With Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, all three left-handed hitters will take a seat. Blaze Alexander will stay in the lineup and play centerfield with Johnathan Rodriguez hitting cleanup and playing right field and Weston Wilson hitting fifth and playing left field.

Mountcastle finds himself in Baltimore’s lineup for just the second time this season with his lone start coming back on March 31. It’ll be Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers on the bench with Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill getting an opportunity to face White Sox opener Grant Taylor, who has been excellent this season.

It’s notable that O’Neill has started just half of Baltimore’s eight games on the young season and he’s been out of the lineup for three straight. It’ll be Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser continuing to get opportunities to play regularly with reclamation project Leody Taveras getting some unexpected run in center field at the moment.