The Orioles are already down a center fielder. After Monday night, they fell again.
Aaron Hicks was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring on Tuesday after sitting out Monday night’s 3-2 win over the Phillies in Philadelphia. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a matching move.
Hicks dove for a line drive hit by Johan Rojas in the third inning, threw the ball back onto the field and sat for a moment before members of the practice squad came out to evaluate him. He eventually left the game with what the team called a left hamstring injury and was replaced in center field by rookie Colton Cowser.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday the injury could be a strain or cramp, but he didn’t know until Hicks had a chance to be evaluated Tuesday.
Hicks ran to his right on the line and stretched out to make a spectacular catch. Rojas was ruled out, although replay later showed the ball had gone out of Hicks’ glove.
Entering Tuesday, Hicks is hitting .252/.349/.435 in 42 games for the Orioles this season with a .784 OPS. As his replacement, Cowser was a hero Monday, leading off for the Orioles. winning run in the ninth inning.
The Orioles are already without regular center fielder Cedric Mullins, who returned to the injured list last week, so Hicks’ exit could spell bad news. Mullins missed 20 games earlier this year with a groin strain, prompting the Orioles to sign Hicks after he was released by the New York Yankees.
“He progressed, he progressed,” Hyde said of Mullins’ health at the time. “It’s not progressing at the rate we’d hoped, so the thing to do is make sure it’s healthy and working well before we activate it.”
Mullins took batting practice last week, but said he doesn’t know how long it will be before he can return.
With Hicks out, Austin Hays — who started in left field Monday — and McKenna can also play center. McKenna, 26, posted a .707 OPS in 62 games with the Orioles this season and is hitting .308/.444/.538 over his last 15 games with the Tides.
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