Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Leaves after getting hit on elbow
Rotowire
Kjerstad left Saturday's game against the Reds in the third inning after getting hit by a Hunter Greene fastball on the elbow in the first inning, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
X-rays on Kjerstad's elbow came back negative after he was pulled, per Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, so he seems to have escaped with only a bruise. Ramon Laureano replaced Kjerstad in left field and could be in for more playing time if the latter ends up needing to sit another game or two. The 26-year-old is off to a decent start at the plate, hitting .261/.300/.500 with three homers so far, and he's now been hit by seven pitches in 70 career major-league games.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Smacks another home run
Rotowire
Kjerstad went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Reds.
Kjerstad was responsible for driving in the final runs of Friday's game, as he took the second pitch he saw from Scott Barlow deep to right-center field for a two-run home run in the eighth inning. Kjerstad has belted a home run in back-to-back games and has logged two RBI in each of his last three outings. He's slashing .261/.268/.500 with nine runs scored, three home runs and 12 RBI across 49 plate appearances so far this season.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Belts two-run homer vs. Cleveland
Rotowire
Kjerstad went 1-for-2 with one walk and a two-run homer in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Guardians.
Kjerstad extended the Orioles' lead to four runs in the sixth inning, when he smacked an 80-mph changeup from Tanner Bibee deep to center field for a two-run home run. It was the third time Kjerstad has tallied two RBI in his last five games, and he has two long balls over that span.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Cracks two-run shot
Rotowire
Kjerstad went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.
Kjerstad was able to break Bowden Francis' shutout in the fifth frame, with the former taking a splitter deep to center field for a 409-foot, two-run home run. It was Kjerstad's first home run of the 2025 season and his seventh in his major-league career. He's started the season slashing .219/.235/.344 with five runs scored, one home run and six RBI across 34 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Idle versus lefty
Rotowire
Kjerstad is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
Kjerstad will head to the bench along with fellow left-handed hitters Jackson Holliday, Cedric Mullins and Ryan O'Hearn as the Orioles look for platoon advantages to counter Royals southpaw Kris Bubic.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Sitting against southpaw
Rotowire
Kjerstad is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Kjerstad will head to the bench along with fellow left-handed hitters Ryan O'Hearn and Jackson Holliday while the Red Sox send southpaw Garrett Crochet to the bump. Ramon Laureano will join Cedric Mullins and Tyler O'Neill in the outfield while Kjerstad sits.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: In line for playing-time boost
Rotowire
Kjerstad is expected to play more frequently versus right-handed pitching after Colton Cowser (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Kjerstad started just one of four games -- all which came against right-handed starters -- in the Orioles' opening series against the Blue Jays. However, with Cowser set for an extended absence due to a fractured thumb, Kjerstad should be a regular in the lineup versus right-handers for several weeks. The 26-year-old Kjerstad had a .998 OPS at Triple-A Norfolk and a .745 OPS with four home runs in limited playing time with Baltimore last season. He should be added in most fantasy leagues, but keep in mind that the Orioles are tentatively slated to face three lefties during the upcoming week.
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Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Pushing to maintain roster spot
Rotowire
Kjerstad went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit and is now batting .257 (9-for-35) with one home run, six RBI and one stolen base this spring.
The 2020 first-rounder appears to be on track for a bench role to begin 2025, but Kjerstad's most likely pathway to regular at-bats looks to be blocked at the moment by veteran slugger Ryan O'Hearn at designated hitter. With that said, O'Hearn has gone just 4-for-30 with a lone extra-base hit during spring training, and he could start to feel Kjerstad nipping at his heels for work at some point if his struggles carry into the regular season. Kjerstad could be hard-pressed to find reps in the outfield early on, with Colton Cowser going 12-for-31 with two homers, six RBI and two steals in exhibition action.
Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Inside track on roster spot
Rotowire
Orioles GM Mike Elias noted Thursday that Kjerstad is a frontrunner for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. "He has earned the right to get at-bats in the corner outfield and at designated hitter, especially against right-handed pitchers," Elias said.
Even after letting Anthony Santander walk in free agency, the Orioles still have a deep stable of options in the outfield and at designated hitter, as Baltimore brought in Tyler O'Neill, Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson to join a group that already includes Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser. Cowser and Mullins will handle the bulk of the starts in center field, but Kjerstad looks like he'll have every opportunity to stake his claim to a strong-side platoon role in a corner spot or at DH. Elias said that the Orioles don't necessarily need Kjerstad to have a big spring to secure his roster spot, but a strong showing in the Grapefruit League could certainly help him stand out from the pack. Though his playing time at the big-league level wasn't consistent last season, Kjerstad acquitted himself well in the opportunities he received, slashing .253/.351/.394 with four home runs over 114 plate appearances.
Kjerstad hit a solo home run in his lone at-bat during Sunday's 6-2 win over the Twins.
Kjerstad was a defensive replacement in right field and went yard when he came to the plate in the eighth inning. Since returning from a concussion in mid-September, he's gone 7-for-30 (.233) over his last 11 contests of the regular season. Kjerstad posted a .253/.351/.394 slash line, four homers, 14 RBI, eight runs scored and one stolen base over 114 plate appearances. If he makes the Orioles' postseason roster, he'll likely be a bench option.
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