DETROIT — Normally, Brandon Hyde, like many MLB managers, avoids injury questions. Now, he starts each pregame news conference with essentially a briefing on the Orioles’ long list of injured players.
The first question to Baltimore’s skipper Friday wasn’t about a single player, but instead about the entire list, requesting Hyde for a rundown.
“Is this a two-hour program?” Hyde quipped.
The Orioles have 10 players on the injured list after Jacob Webb and Heston Kjerstad were reinstated Sunday. That group alone could serve as the makings of a legitimate MLB contender. Most of the injuries occurred this summer, leading to the club’s decline from being one on pace for 100-plus wins to one scratching and clawing to play .500 ball.
In August and earlier this month, the injury news was almost always negative — from new players being hurt to a lack of updates to those on the IL. Now, those updates from Hyde are becoming more positive as the Orioles hope to thread a tight needle in having several players return so late in the regular season.
Still, looking ahead to what can be when Grayson Rodriguez, Jordan Westburg, Danny Coulombe, et al. return doesn’t change the fact that Baltimore is in a tight race in the American League East with 14 games to go. The Orioles entered Sunday two games behind the New York Yankees for first in the division and only two games up on the Kansas City Royals for the top wild-card spot.
“Sometimes optimistic, sometimes not,” Hyde said about how he views his team’s current state of injuries. “I mean, I don’t know. Right now we’ve got to try to beat the Detroit Tigers with the 28 guys we’ve got tonight. Hopefully these guys can come back and help us. They’re big pieces for us, and my fingers are crossed.”
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, here is the latest update and timeline for every injured Orioles player.
Left-hander Danny Coulombe
It’s been more than three months since Coulombe’s last appearance for the Orioles on June 9. At the time, he was one of the majors’ most effective left-handed relievers with a 2.42 ERA and AL-best 0.615 WHIP.
But after his best outing of the season — a two-inning appearance in which he struck out three — he was placed on the IL with arm discomfort and later underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. His absence has been detrimental to Baltimore’s bullpen. Before his injury, the Orioles’ relief corps ranked fourth in the majors with a 3.32 ERA. Since, the unit has recorded a 4.61 ERA for the seventh-worst mark in baseball.
Coulombe is Hyde’s Swiss Army knife as he uses the journeyman southpaw in a wide range of situations — from jams in the sixth to lefty pockets late in games to facing the heart of the order in high-leverage. Coulombe began his rehab assignment Wednesday with a scoreless inning for Triple-A Norfolk but hasn’t pitched since. A few more outings should put him in position to return before the end of the regular season.
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Infielder Ramón Urías
Earlier this season, it was assumed Urías’ days with the Orioles were numbered as young prospects such as Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo made their way to Baltimore. But Urías earned his place to remain on the Orioles, and he proved why that was the right decision in August by carrying a struggling offense with one of the best power months of his five-year career.
That made the sprained ankle he suffered Aug. 31 even worse as the Orioles have been unable to replace his offensive production at third base. Urías was on crutches and then a walking boot, raising concern about how soon he’d be able to return. But Hyde said the Mexico native is “ahead of schedule” and doing baseball activities, including swinging a bat.
“Hopefully we’ll see him sometime soon,” Hyde said.
Infielder Jordan Westburg
Perhaps the most impactful player missing, Westburg appears to be making strong progress toward a return.
A week ago, the All-Star hadn’t started swinging a bat after fracturing his hand July 31. Now, he’s hitting in the cage and participating in “all baseball activities,” Hyde said. But Westburg needs to follow the hitting progression set for him to slowly make his way back.
“All positive, no setbacks as of right now,” Hyde said. “When you haven’t swung a bat for a while and you’re coming back from a broken hand, it just takes a little while to gain strength in your hand. They’re building strength in the hand. He’s just getting used to swinging the bat.”
Westburg was hitting .269 with an .815 OPS and ranked third on the team in FanGraphs’ version of wins above replacement at the time of his injury, behind only Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser. His consistent approach at the plate and steady defense have been missed, and his return could provide a significant boost to a club falling out of the race for the AL East.
It remains unclear when Westburg could return, and he’d presumably need at least a few games on a rehab assignment to do so. But his progress suggests the club’s hope that he comes back by the end of the regular season could come true.
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez
When Rodriguez went on the IL with a lat/teres muscle injury, the worst was feared. He missed three months with a similar injury in 2022, and that length of recovery would end his season if it was just as severe.
But Rodriguez caught the discomfort early when he felt it before a start Aug. 6, potentially reducing his recovery time. He’s throwing bullpen sessions now, and Hyde said the hope is he faces hitters soon. That would be a big step in the youngster’s progression before going out on a rehab assignment.
It’s unclear how many rehab outings Rodriguez would need to build back up to start big league games, but he’s still on track to potentially return before the end of the regular season. His addition would be critical to an Orioles rotation carrying the load as the offense slumps.
A playoff rotation of Corbin Burnes, Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and a No. 4 starter to be determined (Dean Kremer or Albert Suárez) could be good enough to make a World Series run.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle
While most of the updates on the Orioles’ injured players are positive, those coming out about Mountcastle aren’t.
The right-handed slugger was Baltimore’s doubles leader when he landed on the IL in late August after spraining his left wrist. The hope at the time was that Mountcastle could return after the minimum 10 days, but it’s been more than three weeks and it doesn’t appear he’s close to coming back.
Hyde said he was “unsure” of Mountcastle’s status. The first baseman is in Sarasota, and the club hopes he can begin swinging a bat soon.
“I’m trying to stay optimistic that we’ll see him by the end of the season,” Hyde said.
Out for season: Closer Félix Bautista, right-hander Kyle Bradish, left-hander John Means, right-hander Tyler Wells and shortstop Jorge Mateo.
