Baltimore Orioles Manager Hints When Colton Cowser Will Start

The Baltimore Orioles have a terrific outfield prospect in Colton Cowser and his time for making the starting lineup this season is growing close.

Mar 30, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Oriolesoutfielder Colton Cowser (17) run out a / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have a deep roster and, so far, there hasn’t been much room for Colton Cowser to get on the field.

Through the first home series for the Orioles, which ended on Sunday, Cowser had just three at-bats, with one hit.

It’s a disappointing start for a rookie who had an incredible spring for the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla., and a player that is among the Top 100 prospects in all of baseball.  

But there is good news on the horizon, according to Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

He told reporters on Monday, including MLB.com, that it would be easier to get Cowser into the lineup as the season went on as starting outfielders need days off.

In fact, Hyde hinted that Cowser would make his way into the starting lineup in the “next day or two.”

The Orioles are stacked in the outfield, with a trio of starters that were part of last year’s AL East champions — Anthony Santander, Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins. So it would have been difficult for Cowser to work his way into the starting rotation.

But he made it difficult for the Orioles in spring training.

Cowser batted .304 in the spring, with six home runs and 13 RBI. Scouts were buzzing about Cowser’s progress after he got a cup of coffee with the Orioles at the end of 2023 but only batted .115 in 61 at-bats.

He hit a walk-off home run to start spring training and showed the power that made him a first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Sam Houston, which is located in Huntsville, Texas.

The Orioles knew it would be difficult to find him an everyday spot when he made the team coming out of spring training. But it good to hear that they have a plan to get Cowser in the field for a full game soon.