After Orioles heart fielder Cedric Mullins exited Monday’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians with a proper abductor groin pressure, Baltimore acted shortly to discover a alternative.
The Orioles introduced Tuesday that they’ve signed former New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks and positioned Mullins on the 10-day injured checklist. The Yankees launched Hicks, 33, final week amid the fifth season of a seven-year, $70 million contract. New York is liable for the rest of that settlement; Baltimore can pay Hicks solely a prorated portion of the most important league minimal. He fills a gap on their 40-man roster, which is now full.
In his eleventh main league season, Hicks was hitting .188/.263/.261 with one residence run when the Yankees elected to designate the switch-hitter for task, although he hit .353/.450/.647/1.097 in his final seven video games with New York. By OPS+, Hicks has been a below-average main league hitter the previous three seasons after ranking above common annually from 2017 to 2020.
Mullins pulled up in need of first base whereas attempting to beat out a floor ball to shortstop in Monday’s eighth inning. An All-Star in 2021, Mullins had missed just one recreation this season earlier than the damage and had appeared in all however 10 of Baltimore’s video games over the previous three years.
Defensively, Hicks final rated positively in heart discipline by Statcast’s outs above common in 2017. He was price minus-11 OAA in heart over the previous six seasons. A finalist for a Gold Glove final 12 months, Mullins has been above common within the metric each season of his profession, with 22 OAA in heart over the previous three years.
The Orioles’ inner choices to interchange Mullins had been restricted by outfield prospects Colton Cowser and Kyle Stowers being on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured checklist. Ryan McKenna, usually a late-inning defensive alternative for Baltimore, moved from proper discipline to heart when Mullins exited Monday’s recreation; left fielder Austin Hays can be able to taking part in the place, although supervisor Brandon Hyde values how he performs Camden Yards’ spacious left discipline.
This story will likely be up to date.