The Orioles are already down one center fielder. After Monday night, they are down another.
Aaron Hicks was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Tuesday after exiting Monday night’s 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move.
Hicks dove for a line drive hit by Johan Rojas in the third inning, threw the ball back to the infield and sat for a moment before training staff members came out to evaluate him. He eventually left the game and was replaced in center field by rookie Colton Cowser.
Hicks said by the end of his 10 days on the IL, he “should be good.” Manager Brandon Hyde said with a hamstring, “you just never know.”
“So 10 days, two weeks, I’m not really sure,” Hyde said.
Cowser was scheduled to start Tuesday in center field.
“It’s definitely unfortunate that [Hicks] will be down for a little bit, but we feel good about our other options,” Hyde said.
Hicks ran to his right on the liner and fully stretched out to make a spectacular catch. Rojas was ruled out, although replay later showed the ball popped out of Hicks’ glove.
Entering Tuesday, Hicks is hitting .252/.349/.435 in 42 games for the Orioles this season with a .784 OPS. As his replacement, Cowser was a hero Monday, driving in the Orioles’ .
The Orioles are already without regular center fielder Cedric Mullins, , so Hicks’ exit could spell bad news. Mullins missed 20 games earlier this year with a groin strain, prompting the Orioles to sign Hicks after he was released by the New York Yankees.
“It was progressing, has been progressing,” Hyde said of Mullins’ health at the time. “It’s just not progressing at the rate that we were hoping, and so the right thing to do is to make sure he’s all the way healthy and running well before we activate him.”
Mullins took batting practice last week but said he didn’t know how long it would be until he could return.
With Hicks out, Cowser, Austin Hays — who started Monday in left field — and McKenna can play center. McKenna, 26, has posted a .707 OPS in 62 games with the Orioles this season and is batting .308/.444/.538 in his past 15 games with the Tides.
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