Orioles place Austin Hays on 10-day injured list with a calf strain
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Orioles have placed outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain and selected the contract of taxi squad catcher David Bañuelos for their series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, the club announced Monday. He’ll be eligible to return May 1 during the Orioles’ four-game home series against the New York Yankees.
Baltimore designated outfielder Peyton Burdick for assignment in a corresponding move.
“It’s unfortunate,” manager Brandon Hyde said in his pregame news conference. “We’re pretty confident he’s going to be back really soon after the IL stint but just needed for it to calm down a little bit. Get some work in the training room and try to get that for him to be 100%. But yeah, it’s been a little bit of a tough year for him so far this year. It’s unfortunate because I thought he was starting to swing the bat these last couple games he played and he’d be in there tonight but injuries happen and hopefully just a little blip on a good season for him.”
Hays, 28, left Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals after pulling up lame on a single in the seventh inning. Colton Cowser replaced him in left field the following inning. An All-Star for the Orioles in 2023, Hays is off to a slow start, slashing .111/.200/.111 with zero home runs in 19 games. With Cowser (.373/.411/.784) making an early case for American League Rookie of the Year, Hays had been relegated to a platoon role.
While Bañuelos gets the chance to suit up for the Orioles on Monday, the loss of Hays leaves the Orioles with the switch-hitting Anthony Santander as their only active right-handed outfielder. The Orioles do have several top prospects off to strong starts in Triple-A, such as outfielder Heston Kjerstad (.349/.431/.744), second baseman-outfielder Connor Norby (.303/.376/.539) and corner infielder Coby Mayo (.344/.388/.656). Norby and Mayo hit right-handed.
Hyde also announced Monday that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle was out of the Orioles’ lineup because of “knee soreness.” Mountcastle experienced some swelling after Sunday’s win over the Royals. Hyde said he would be available off the bench Monday night.