The Baltimore Orioles season hasn’t played out as expected, but now, the situation goes from bad to worse.
While speaking to the media on Friday, interim manager Tony Mansolino said first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is expected to miss significant time with a grade two hamstring strain. He’s expected to be sidelined for eight to 12 weeks in total.
Much like the team he plays for, Mountcastle has struggled through the early months of the season. His .246 AVG is a career-low, as are his abysmal .280 OBP and .348 SLG. While the 28-year-old hasn’t ever been an on-base monster outside of his rookie campaign, the low marks are still difficult for a surprisingly poor Orioles squad to overcome.
In the meantime, Ryan O’Hearn should see more time at first base in Mountcastle’s absence. He’s been one of few bright spots in Baltimore this season, slashing .326/.411/.519 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs.
Still, the Orioles are just 25-36 overall on the year. They’re doing their best to claw out of last place in the AL East with a six-game winning streak and 8-2 record over their last 10 games, but they’ll have to keep it up more often than not in order to sniff the .500 mark.
