The Orioles introduced this morning that they’ve activated infielders Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias from the 15-day Injured Record. Outfielder Daniel Johnson and infielder Livan Soto have been optioned to Triple-A to be able to make room for the duo’s return on the lively roster. Each Westburg and Urias are within the membership’s beginning lineup for in the present day’s recreation in opposition to the Tigers, with Westburg batting second and taking part in second base whereas Urias bats eighth and performs third base.
The reinforcements are enormously appreciated for an Orioles membership that that has posted a wRC+ of simply 95 in September and ranks seventeenth within the majors because the begin of August, when Westburg was first positioned on the IL after struggling a hand fracture on July 31. The 25-year-old was a revelation for Baltimore in 101 video games earlier than hitting the shelf, constructing upon a strong however unspectacular rookie marketing campaign in 2023 to slash .269/.317/.497 (131 wRC+) with 18 homers and 25 doubles in simply 420 journeys to the plate this yr whereas splitting time between second and third base.
That sturdy efficiency rapidly turned Westburg into an anchor for the Orioles lineup alongside famous person Gunnar Henderson and veteran slugger Anthony Santander and allowed him to choose up the slack for catcher Adley Rutschman, whose league common efficiency (104 wRC+) this yr is the worst of his profession up to now. Westburg’s emergence additionally made it simpler for the membership to take issues sluggish with high prospect Jackson Holliday’s adjustment to the massive leagues as he’s struggled by way of his first style of huge league motion. With Westburg offering an above-average bat at each second and third base as wanted, the Orioles have been in a position to spend a lot of the early a part of the season mixing and matching between Jorge Mateo on the keystone and Urias on the scorching nook, with Westburg taking up whichever place was open on any given day.
Talking of Urias, the 30-year-old has as soon as once more excelled in an element time function for the Orioles this yr with a .252/.327/.427 slash line (117 wRC+) in 275 journeys to the plate this yr throughout 95 video games, albeit with some questionable work on the scorching nook that’s a far cry from the sturdy defensive efficiency that earned him a Gold Glove award again in 2022. Nonetheless, Urias’s return to the membership’s infield ought to assist additional increase an offense that can now have the ability to rely much less on Holliday, who has improved considerably in his second stint on the large league degree however continues to be hitting simply .195/.253/.342 (69 wRC+) with a 30.9% strikeout price in 49 video games since rejoining the massive league membership on the finish of July instead of Mateo, whose season ended attributable to elbow surgical procedure. Specifically, Urias’s return figures to assist defend Holliday from left-handed pitching, in opposition to whom he’s struck out 36.6% of the time with a wRC+ of simply 33 since returning to the massive leagues two months in the past.
In the meantime, Johnson and Soto head to Triple-A. It was a short return to large league motion for Johnson, who went 0-for-1 in his lone recreation with Baltimore yesterday however had beforehand appeared in 35 video games with Cleveland through the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The 29-year-old is now headed again to Triple-A, the place he’s slashed an honest .259/.320/.448 in 500 journeys to the plate this yr. He’ll be joined within the minors by Soto, who was claimed off waivers from the Angels by the Reds this offseason however appeared in only one recreation with Cincinnati earlier than being dealt to Baltimore on the commerce deadline alongside outfielder Austin Slater. Since becoming a member of Baltimore, Soto has completed effectively in a bench function with a .462 on-base proportion in 13 journeys to the plate. Whereas Soto sports activities a wonderful .351/.400/.494 slash line within the majors for his profession, that line comes from simply 87 plate appearances throughout the previous three seasons. The 24-year-old is a profession .266/.362/.385 hitter on the Triple-A degree, which is probably going extra consultant of his true expertise degree.
