Baltimore Orioles Announce More Roster Moves Ahead of Blue Jays Series

After making one surprising roster move earlier in the day, the Baltimore Orioles have announced some more that could have some long-term impact on the organization.

Feb 24, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Austin Hays (21) | Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are looking to maintain their stranglehold on the AL East division during their six-game homestand that sees them facing two challenging opponents.

They'll get things kicked off against a desperate division opponent in the Toronto Blue Jays who have vastly underperformed, but are always dangerous with the immense talent that is littered throughout their offense.

Ahead of Monday's game, it was reported that the Orioles were calling up one of their former top prospects Kyle Stowers.

At the time, it was unknown what the corresponding roster move was going to be, although it was speculated here that it was likely Heston Kjerstad was getting sent down to Triple-A so he could get more at-bats in an everyday type of role.

It turns out that was the case as Roch Kubatko of MASN reported Kjerstad did get optioned with manager Brandon Hyde saying this isn't performance based but to get him more reps.

That wasn't the only move that Baltimore made, however.

They also activated outfielder Austin Hays from the 10-day injured list and designated fellow outfielder Ryan McKenna for assignment according to the team's social media page.

It's been a struggle for Hays this year coming off his All-Star season in 2023 when he slashed .275/.325/.444 with 16 homers, 54 extra-base hits, 67 RBI, and OPS+ of 114.

Through 19 games prior to his left calf strain, he was only slashing .111/.200/.111 with no extra-base hits and just two RBI.

Still, the Orioles believe in the 28-year-old who has been a staple in their outfield and clubhouse since 2020.

McKenna, on the other hand, might have spent his final time with the organization following this DFA as he can decline the outright assignment and hit free agency if he clears waivers.

That would certainly be interesting.

The 27-year-old has performed well when called upon by Baltimore, having gone 3-8 with two home runs and two RBI in his limited action across nine games.