For days now, the Orioles have debated whether José Iglesias would benefit from a stint on the injured list, despite how productive the veteran shortstop has been with the bat so far this season. On Tuesday they decided to place Iglesias on the 10-day IL with a sore left quad and recall Ramón Urías from their alternate training site at Double-A Bowie.
The stint is retroactive to Aug. 16, meaning Iglesias would be eligible to be activated as early as Aug. 26. Iglesias has been battling the issue since Summer Camp; it forced him to miss seven of Baltimore¡¯s first 21 games and five of the last nine. And yet, he has been wildly productive when he has played -- hitting .400 with a .414 OBP, nine doubles and 10 RBIs
¡°We felt like it was the right thing to do,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°We felt like giving him some extra days would benefit him and us for the rest of the season.¡±
In the interim, Pat Valaika and Andrew Velazquez are expected to handle the lion¡¯s share of reps at short, with Urias another emergency option. Signed out of the Mexican League in 2018 and claimed off waivers from the Cardinals this spring, Urias is a natural second baseman who can play all four infield positions, as well as corner outfield in a pinch. His first appearance will be his MLB debut.
Iglesias is the second Orioles regular to hit the IL this week, two days after Austin Hays was sidelined with a microfracture in his left rib cage. They are also playing this season without Trey Mancini (colon cancer), Richie Martin (right wrist surgery), Stevie Wilkerson (left ring finger fracture), while Hunter Harvey has yet to pitch due to right elbow soreness. Baltimore¡¯s hope is that Iglesias can return when eligible.
¡°We need him to play shortstop for us down the stretch,¡± Hyde said. ¡°He¡¯s a big part of our lineup and has been instrumental in so much of our success. And he really hasn¡¯t been right since that first series in Boston.¡±
Old friends, new places
Upon returning to Camden Yards this week for the first time in two years, Caleb Joseph experienced ¡°a mix of sad, happy, odd -- a lot of different emotions.¡± The reasons were simple.
¡°I had incredible moments here, incredible memories here,¡± Joseph said. ¡°The fans, the people, everything about this city -- when I left, I knew I missed it. I knew it was home. But driving back here, I did not expect to be overwhelmed by the emotions that I had.¡±
Once inside the ballpark, Joseph looked around and took inventory on the place he called home for parts of five seasons. Drafted and developed by the Orioles, Joseph spent a full decade in the organization, serving as a valuable backup catcher and clubhouse presence for playoff clubs in 2014 and ¡®16.
¡°It¡¯s like the bones are still there, but the blood is different,¡± Joseph said. ¡°It¡¯s an odd sight looking at the game from the third-base side of the field.¡±
Joseph was non-tendered after the 2018 season, spent last year in the D-backs organization and signed as a free agent with Toronto last winter. He has spent this season on the Blue Jays¡¯ taxi squad, but as a backstop, he is allowed to be in uniform catching bullpens during games. He has also assumed an elder statesman role in Toronto¡¯s young clubhouse, in large part due to his outgoing personality.
¡°I¡¯m kind of in charge of the postgame celebrations,¡± Joseph said. ¡°Whenever we win, we have me announcing the three stars of the game.¡±
Lineup change
The Orioles¡¯ lineup featured a head-turning change ahead of Tuesday¡¯s contest vs. the Blue Jays, when Hyde placed Chance Sisco in the leadoff spot in place of Hanser Alberto. It is just an off day for Alberto, who started each of the O¡¯s first 21 games and has uncharacteristically struck out five times over the past two. Alberto is hitting .313 and owns at least a share of the American League lead in hits and doubles.
Sisco, a catcher by trade without much speed, has hit leadoff for the .474 OBP and eight walks he has compiled already this season. He was slotted in as the designated hitter, with Pedro Severino as the catcher, Renato Nunez at first base and Chris Davis sitting for the fifth time in six games. When asked, Hyde did not say when Davis would play next.