Mike Elias said Wednesday that Heston Kjerstad would be a “big part” of the Orioles as they push to defend their American League East title.
On Thursday, he optioned Kjerstad to Triple-A Norfolk.
Ahead of their series opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, the Orioles made a slew of roster moves in the wake of their busy trade deadline that included five trades Tuesday. Kjerstad, the Orioles’ No. 4 prospect, was optioned to get veteran outfielder Austin Slater, acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations, on the roster.
Kjerstad, 25, has mastered hitting Triple-A pitching with a .998 OPS with the Norfolk Tides this season. Across three stints in the major leagues, he has a career .779 OPS in 113 plate appearances, but he’s never been given the opportunity to play regularly.
Slater, an eight-year veteran, is hitting .185 with a .530 OPS this season with the San Francisco Giants and Reds. In his career, the 31-year-old is a .252 hitter with a .730 OPS.
The preference for Slater over Kjerstad, at least for now, is likely because the former is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield spots while the latter hits left-handed and can only play the corner outfield.
“I think he’s really shown what he can do this season in the majors and he’s a big part of the team here in the second half,” Elias said Wednesday. “We have a bunch of talent here that’s going to help us get through the second half and get to the playoffs and Heston is a big part of that.”
In a less surprising yet more significant move, Baltimore placed infielder Jordan Westburg on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right hand. Manager Brandon Hyde revealed the All-Star’s injury after he was hit on the hand by a 95 mph fastball in the Orioles’ 10-4 win Wednesday. Hyde said the hope is that Westburg can return before the end of the regular season.
Replacing Westburg on the roster is utility infielder Livan Soto, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk after the Orioles acquired him in the Slater deal.
To activate left-hander Trevor Rogers, who will make his Orioles debut Thursday when he starts against the Guardians, Baltimore optioned reliever Keegan Akin. Baltimore acquired Rogers from the Miami Marlins for prospects Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers on Tuesday.
Akin, a lefty, has spent the entire year in the major leagues, but his campaign has been marred by inconsistency, especially against left-handed hitters. Akin has a 3.34 ERA and 0.971 WHIP this year.
The Orioles also activated Eloy Jiménez, a right-handed slugger to help replace the production versus southpaws lost when they traded Austin Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever Seranthony Domínguez last week. Baltimore acquired Jiménez, who is hitting .240 with a .642 OPS this season, from the Chicago White Sox for Triple-A reliever Trey McGough.
Cristian Pache, whom the Orioles acquired in the Hays deal, was designated for assignment. Reliever Vinny Nitttoli elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A after he was DFA’d on Friday. The Orioles now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
This story will be updated.