Orioles injuries mounting on 40-man roster

The Orioles are carrying a full 40-man roster and counting the number of injured players. Increases that are painful on a number of fronts.

Relievers Hunter Harvey, Dillon Tate and Rule 5 pick Mac Sceroler are in various stages of recovery from oblique, hamstring and shoulder ailments, respectively. Harvey is on the 60-day injured list and doesn't count against the 40-man, but he also hasn't been an option for a team that's working up a sweat trying to keep its bullpen fresh.

First baseman Chris Davis is staying on the 60-man after undergoing surgery yesterday to repair the labrum in his left hip. His season is over before it started.

Outfielder Anthony Santander is going to be reinstated this weekend while the Orioles are in D.C. His sprained left ankle has healed and he's in protocol.

Triple-A infielders Richie Martin and Jahmai Jones and outfielder Yusniel Diaz are on the seven-day injured list. Martin could have been a consideration as middle infield depth and receiving starts at second base before fracturing his left wrist Tuesday night in Norfolk while chasing a fly ball in center field.

The Orioles wanted to increase Martin's value by giving him more experience in the outfield, but a collision with the fence put those plans on hold.

Left-hander Alexander Wells didn't pitch in spring training due to a strained oblique, but he's in Norfolk's rotation. Unable to provide immediate assistance, but perhaps able to debut later in the summer.

Mike Baumann eventually will get into the Tides' rotation, but he's on a rehab assignment with low Single-A Delmarva after experiencing a reoccurrence of the forearm/elbow discomfort that cut short his work at the alternate camp site in Bowie.

Depth and flexibility are valued like gold coins coming off a 60-game season. Injuries are an unwanted complication that can impact the ability to stay competitive.

"I think we're OK right now, but it's very tough," executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said during yesterday's Zoom call.

"You get too many injured players on your 40-man roster, it can really create some problems. I think we're OK as we stand right now. We're certainly not in a position to complain. This happens to every team. It's part of a season, part of the game. There's probably a lot of other teams that are a lot worse in that regard right now, but we've got to keep our eye on it and we have to be thinking about our roster always and making sure that we have players that are eligible for recall or injury replacement on the 40, or able to get them on the 40 easily at any given time because something can happen in the middle of the night on a nightly basis every day in baseball."

Elias wouldn't, as a reflex action, place the injury blame on baseball ramping up from 60 to 162 games following the COVID-19 shutdown and cancellation of the minor league season, though physical breakdowns have been a concern.

"Certainly, the ones that we've discussed, it's hard to attribute to a layoff," Elias said. "Richie broke a bone on a collision. I guess it's possible with others and we're seeing a lot around the league. Certainly, that's something that everyone's got in the front of their mind, but I just don't know that these are the result of an uneven schedule the last couple of years. But it's something that we're worried about in general."

Stevie Wilkerson recovered from last year's fractured left ring finger to make his major league return, with the Orioles designating Rio Ruiz for assignment. Elias had a history with Ruiz from their days in Houston.

"Stevie brings a lot of versatility and backup," Elias said. "He backs you up at short, he backs you up in center, he's an everyday-caliber defensive second baseman. That's kind of his primary position by trade. He can go play third, he can play the corner outfield, he can play first base if needed. Really, every position besides catcher. And we're anticipating maybe having to carry an extra pitcher or two during this stretch. So with him and Pat Valaika on the team, that's a lot of versatility packed into two roster spots and can be very helpful for our roster construction during this stretch.

"Rio Ruiz has been a great part of this team and this clubhouse and a really good contributor for the last two-plus seasons, really, since we claimed him at the end of 2018. He's provided a very steady presence, especially at third base defensively, and he's done a lot to stabilize this club and help us. And who knows, he may be back. We'll have to see how the designation process completes and what happens. And we certainly would welcome him back with open arms should he remain in our organization.

"But this is baseball. It's a transient business and things change day to day. You develop working relationships with players and people. Very close, a lot of affection for them, a lot of connections with them, and everyone sometimes goes their separate ways and crosses paths again. It's a hard thing to describe, but he's certainly someone that we wish the best for him, whether it's with us or other teams. He's a terrific person and a hard worker, and so I know he'll be back in the big leagues and get other opportunities, but sometimes it's time to go to Triple-A and get your footing mentally and mechanically, and we think that's the right move for him and us right now."