The Orioles’ bet on Luis Robert Jr. has gone sideways fast.
Baltimore claimed the outfielder from the New York Mets this past week, banking on a player with upside on offense and elite defense while the club was still in the thick of the playoff race after a strong August. It was a pricey move, too: the Orioles took on $3 million for the rest of the regular season, plus a $2 million buyout tied to his 2027 contract, a deal worth $20 million that is unlikely to be exercised.
Just six days later, that gamble already looks rough. Moments before Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore put Robert on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring discomfort.
If he doesn’t make it back this season - and that remains a possibility depending on the severity - the Orioles could end up paying a hefty sum for only three games of work. Robert’s health issues have followed him since his time with the Chicago White Sox, so the setback isn’t exactly shocking.
It also lands at a terrible time for Baltimore. The Orioles are riding a five-game losing streak, and their playoff odds have dropped sharply since Monday.
Robert’s brief run in Baltimore produced just two hits in 12 plate appearances. His stint with the club may now be over before it really got going.
Manager Craig Albernaz is expected to address the seriousness of the injury after the game, including whether the issue is season-ending. For now, though, the move already looks like an expensive miss for a team trying to stay alive in the race.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have A Luis Robert Jr. Problem They Didn't Need
Luis Robert Jr. is on the 10-day injured list after left hamstring discomfort sidelined him just three games into his run with the Orioles, a frustrating turn for a club that had just added him to help stabilize the outfield. In response, Baltimore recalled outfielder Rece Hinds from Triple-A Norfolk and right-hander Anthony Nunez, while making room by designating right-hander Albert Surez for assignment.
For an Orioles team trying to keep moving in the right direction, the timing is hardly ideal, especially with another game on deck and the lineup card already shifting again. The club will have to sort through the immediate patchwork in the outfield while waiting to see how long Roberts absence lasts, and whether the moves they just made can keep the roster from feeling the impact right away. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Offense Has Pushed This Season To The Brink
The Orioles have spent September in a frustrating holding pattern, and the biggest problem has been the same one that has followed them for most of the month: the offense has gone quiet. Baltimore has dropped five straight games and is still looking for its first win in September, a skid that has put the season on the brink and left little margin for error in the standings.
Luis Robert Jr. arrived via waiver claim in hopes of providing a jolt, but so far the lineup has not gotten the lift it needed. With playoff odds already looking slim, the club has been asking its pitching rotation to cover for too much, and it has not been enough to keep the Orioles from sliding deeper into trouble. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have An Offensive Problem They Can't Ignore
The Orioles' skid has started to look less like a rough patch and more like a full-blown offensive concern. A 5-0 loss to the Red Sox at Camden Yards dropped Baltimore to five straight defeats, and the lineup went quiet again for long stretches as Chris Bassitt tried to hold things together on the mound. Bassitt worked into the sixth inning with the bases loaded, but the game kept slipping away as Boston kept coming up with the sharper answers.
Sonny Gray controlled the evening from the other side, and the Red Sox backed him with timely production, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa's two-run double. Blaze Alexander also added defensive highlights that helped Boston preserve the shutout, leaving Baltimore with another flat night and a lingering question the Orioles can no longer put off for long. [Read more 🡒]