The Orioles have begun to reintegrate players from their injured list. On Sunday morning, before their series finale, they activated outfielder Heston Kjerstad and reliever Jacob Webb. To make room on the roster, they designated seldom-used infielder Nick Maton and pitcher Cole Irvin for assignment.
Manager Brandon Hyde had hinted at Webb’s return recently. The right-handed reliever had been sidelined for nearly six weeks due to elbow inflammation but completed a successful rehab stint in the minors. Before his injury, Webb posted a 3.08 ERA and a 1.168 WHIP, though he had mixed results and was the losing pitcher in five games.
Kjerstad’s return came sooner than anticipated, although there had been indications it might happen soon. The move was first reported by Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. Kjerstad suffered a concussion from a pitch in mid-July, which initially seemed minor but persisted and led to his extended stint on the injured list. He was reactivated because players need to accrue MLB service time when injured. This season, Kjerstad has hit .261/.370/.420 over 28 games, and his return could provide a boost to the struggling Orioles’ offense.
Maton, 27, has had limited action since joining the team on September 2, recording just five plate appearances and going 0-for-5.
Irvin, 30, is being designated for assignment for the second time this season. His performance has not been strong enough to secure a spot in the rotation, and with Burch Smith (6.20 ERA) also a candidate for removal, the team seems less inclined to keep Irvin, despite his 4.86 ERA.
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