Orioles Top Prospect a Last-Minute Scratch With Knee Injury

It’s never a good sign when new injuries pop up late in Spring Training. With just five days until the start of the Baltimore Orioles’ season, one of the team’s top prospects was scratched on Friday with an apparent knee injury.

In Tampa against the Yankees, Dylan Beavers was scratched from the Orioles lineup due to right knee discomfort
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) March 20, 2026

Baltimore is describing the injury to Dylan Beavers as right knee discomfort, which was significant enough to have him removed from the lineup against the New York Yankees on Friday. Beavers, 24, was set to start in center field for the O’s. He will instead be replaced by Leody Taveras as per the latest updated lineup from the team. Taveras will slide over from right field, and Douglas Hodo will now suit up in place of Beavers. We should know more about the extent of Beavers’ injury tomorrow after further testing.

Beavers has been enjoying a productive spring so far, slashing .241/.267/.552 with seven hits in ten games. Six of those seven hits were extra-base hits, including a triple and a home run. This year’s 21st-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, was called up to the 40-man roster in August last season. In 35 games, Beavers slashed .227/.375/.400 with four home runs, 14 RBI, and a pair of stolen bases.

The Orioles selected Beavers in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Prior to getting drafted, he played three seasons with the University of California, notching 36 home runs and a career 1.024 OPS in 123 games. Last season at Triple-A Norfolk, Beavers slashed .304/.420/.515, with 18 home runs and 51 RBI in 94 games.

OF Dylan Beavers (the Orioles' No. 2 prospect and @MLBPipeline's No. 69 overall) has been scratched from the lineup with right knee discomfort. https://t.co/OG7C8A3seu
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 20, 2026

Even before the injury, Beavers’s status for Opening Day was still unclear. The outfield is a crowded one now. Colton Cowser will be the everyday center fielder, with both Tyler O’Neill and Taylor Ward patrolling right field and left field, respectively. If Beavers made the team out of Spring Training, he would almost certainly be a bench piece to provide outfield depth.

Given the logjam in the outfield, Beavers’ most likely path is still going back to Norfolk to begin the season. O’Neill had three separate stints on the Injured List last season and has a long track record of ailments, so it could only be a matter of time until Beavers is recalled. There also isn’t much chance of him slotting in as the designated hitter, which will be occupied by either Adley Rutschman or Samuel Basallo as they take turns behind the plate.

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