With roughly an hour to go before the 4:05 p.m. EST first pitch of Saturday’s Orioles vs. Angels matchup, a star contributor has been scratched from the lineup.
Orioles slugger Ryan O’Hearn has been removed from the lineup due to ankle discomfort. He was previously set to start in right field.
Per Jake Rill of MLB.com, the late scratch comes as a result of O’Hearn being clipped on his ankle at first base by Zach Neto in last night’s contest. The injury doesn’t sound too serious, thankfully.
The 31-year-old has been one of few bright spots for Baltimore this season with a .310 AVG, 27 RBIs and 10 home runs on the season.
With O’Hearn now out, Ramon Laureano gets the start in right field. He hits .269 this season with 16 RBIs and eight home runs, though he struggles greatly against left-handed pitching.
The Orioles remain 28-40 on the season in last place among the AL East heading into today’s game.