Baltimore Orioles Lose Table-Setter to Injury at Critical Season Juncture
As the Baltimore Orioles try to track down the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East race, they've suffered a critical injury.
With the O's trailing Tampa by just one game in the division, they've placed starting centerfielder and former All-Star Cedric Mullins on the injured list.
The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:
The Orioles placed Mullins on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right adductor groin strain.
ANALYSIS
Baltimore had previously labeled the injury that kept Mullins out of the lineup for the previous three games as a right quadricep tightness, but follow-up tests evidently revealed a slightly different diagnosis for the outfielder. Whatever the case, Mullins won't be eligible for activation until July 26, and it's possible that he misses more than the minimum amount of time if he isn't ready to resume baseball activities by this weekend. While Mullins is sidelined, Aaron Hicks will likely serve as his primary replacement in center field.
The 28-year-old is hitting .259 this year with nine homers, 47 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Lifetime, he's a .262 hitter with 62 home runs.
He hit 30 home runs back in the 2019 season and is a source of speed and power for the O's dynamic offense. Not having him will certainly hurt Baltimore's attempt to score runs.
At 57-37 overall, the Orioles feel like a strong bet for the postseason, but if they really want to catch Tampa Bay, not having Mullins will hurt.
The O's take on the Dodgers on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
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