The Orioles waited a week to see if Ryan Mountcastle’s left shoulder would improve enough to get the first baseman back on the field and avoid a stint on the injured list, but it hasn’t.
Manager Brandon Hyde said before Wednesday’s series finale against the Houston Astros that Mountcastle hadn’t progressed the way the Orioles hoped, forcing them to place the slugger on the 10-day IL with left AC joint inflammation.
Even though he hasn’t played since Sept. 13, Mountcastle’s IL trip can only be backdated three days. Hyde said the goal is for Mountcastle to return as soon as his stint ends next Wednesday. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was recalled from Triple-A to replace Mountcastle on the 28-man roster.
Mountcastle suffered the injury on a swing in the first inning of last Wednesday’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Hyde had said several times in the past week that the middle-of-the-order bat wasn’t a candidate to go on the IL, but that his batting practice session Wednesday morning “didn’t go well.”
“It’s not a setback,” Hyde said. “It was going really well with his progression and he’s feeling better. He tried to swing the other day, was a little sore. We were hoping this session today was going to be an improvement from that last one.”
Mountcastle was dejected after injuring his shoulder last week, and Hyde said he’s “really down about” being placed on the IL now.
“It’s disappointing for him,” Hyde said. “He was hoping he’d be back in a few days. The treatment and everything he’s getting and how hard he’s working to get back, just disappointed that it wasn’t feeling really good in his batting practice today in the cage.”
The 26-year-old had an up-and-down first two months of the season before a bout with vertigo forced him to miss a month of the season. But Mountcastle, who hasn’t talked about the injury with reporters since last Wednesday, quickly regained his form after returning in July and has been the Orioles’ best hitter since the All-Star break with a .900 OPS. On the season, Mountcastle is slashing .269/.327/.453 — good for a .780 OPS.
When Mountcastle was removed from last Wednesday’s game, the Orioles promoted prospect Heston Kjerstad from Triple-A. While not a one-for-one replacement given they hit from opposite sides of the plate, Kjerstad has excited Hyde thus far with his power-hitting ability. Kjerstad has started his MLB career 4-for-13 with two solo home runs, including his and his second in Tuesday’s win over the Astros.
“I’m impressed with how hard he hits the baseball and how he stays on the ball,” Hyde said. “It’s not one-sided, also. What he did yesterday, the way he can drive the ball the other way, pretty unique power.”
Ryan O’Hearn has started every game at first base in Mountcastle’s absence and will continue to do so against right-handed starting pitchers. Against lefties, Anthony Santander and Ramón Urías, two players who have sparingly played first this year, could also fill in at the position, and catcher James McCann and Kjerstad are emergency options.
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