BALTIMORE -- More tough injury news has come for the Orioles, who will now be without a key piece of their lineup for much of the first half of the 2025 season.
Colton Cowser was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, a day after he fractured his left thumb. The 25-year-old outfielder sustained the injury when he slid into first base during the seventh inning of Baltimore's 3-1 loss at Toronto on Sunday.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Cowser will probably miss at least six to eight weeks and likely at least a couple of months.
“It’s a big loss,” Hyde said. “It’s not going to be the last injury we have this season. We’re going to have things pop up. It’s why you create depth, and it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow, because Colton’s a really good player.”
Cowser joins a group of key O's players on the IL that includes shortstop Gunnar Henderson (right intercostal strain), starter Grayson Rodriguez (right elbow inflammation) and reliever Andrew Kittredge (left knee surgery).
Dylan Carlson, a switch-hitter who can play all three outfield positions, was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take Cowser's place on the roster. However, the 26-year-old’s stay on the 26-man roster could be short, as Baltimore will need to make room for Henderson as soon as Thursday, the first day he’ll be eligible to return (which he is on track to do).
The loss of Cowser will allow fellow left-handed-hitting corner outfielder Heston Kjerstad to get more starts. The 26-year-old former top prospect started only one of the four games during the season-opening series in Toronto, going 0-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored on Saturday.
Kjerstad, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, started at designated hitter and batted fifth for Monday’s home opener at Camden Yards, even though the Red Sox sent left-hander Sean Newcomb to the mound.
“Kjerstad is going to get more of an opportunity now,” Hyde said. “That’s why when [general manager] Mike [Elias] and his team build the roster, you build for depth and you understand that these kinds of things might happen. Hopefully, we can fill Colton’s void.”
That won’t be easy. Cowser was the American League Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2024, when he broke out with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .768 OPS in 153 games. He started a bit slow in ‘25, going 2-for-16 (.125) with one home run over the first four games.
It isn't the first time Cowser has dealt with this type of injury. He fractured his left hand in the Orioles' season-ending loss to the Royals in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series last October.
It also isn’t the first time Cowser has slid headfirst into first base to try to beat out a hit. That’s part of the aggressiveness that comes with his game.
“Everybody in that room knows the risk you take when you go headfirst,” Hyde said. “But it’s also an instinctual baseball play, and he’s doing everything he can to -- I thought he was safe, too -- trying to beat the guy to the bag. He’s hustling, and it’s just kind of a freak, unfortunate thing.”
“It’s a crazy situation where a guy’s just playing the game hard and doesn’t get rewarded for it, especially with his thumb getting the full brunt of it,” center fielder Cedric Mullins added. “For him, it’s coming back healthy. We’re going to continue to play our game and continue to have that winning mentality every single day. Injuries happen. It’s the worst part of this game, but we continue to move forward.”
Injuries can have a negative impact on the morale of a clubhouse. But the Orioles have been through this quite a bit recently, and they know they’ll need to power on, as they did during the second half of last season.
After the 2024 All-Star break, four key infielders -- Jordan Westburg, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo -- had stints on the injured list, as did Rodriguez. The O’s still went on to make the postseason for the second consecutive year.
Baltimore will aim to start strong and still set itself up for more success in Cowser’s absence.
“It’s not good. But we’d rather have him at the end of the year, you know?” first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said. “Obviously, it sucks. Cowser’s a big part of this team. Especially this early, you don’t want to see him go down. But we’ve got to find a way to keep rolling, and we know we have the personnel to do that.”