Orioles Place Luis Robert Jr. On 10-Day IL

Orioles outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is headed to the 10-day injured list with left hamstring discomfort (retroactive to Sept. 5), the team announced. The O’s recalled right-hander Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk to take Robert’s roster spot. This continues a rough several days for the free-falling Orioles, who are amid a five-game losing streak and sitting three back of a Wild Card spot. Baltimore claimed the oft-injured Robert from the Mets on Aug. 31 with the hope he would aid in a playoff push, but the team has yet to win a game with him. He has gone 2 for 11 with a home run, two strikeouts and a walk in three games with the Orioles. Overall, the 29-year-old has hit a slightly below-average .221/.300/.407 (97 wRC+) with 11 home runs, two stolen bases and a career-high 10.4% walk rate in 230 plate appearances this season. He continues to boast 89th-percentile sprint speed, which has helped him put up neutral to plus marks in center (2 DRS, 1 FRV, even OAA). Robert will be eligible to come back Sept. 15, though if this is even a somewhat serious injury, it could keep him from returning over the final couple weeks of the season. He already missed around three months with lumbar spine disc herniation earlier this year. Robert returned two weeks before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but the Mets were unable to find a taker for him. However, a good performance in August was enough to convince the Orioles to take a flier on the former White Sox All-Star. Robert is playing on a $20MM salary this year and had about $2.99MM remaining when the Orioles claimed him. They had priority over the Padres, the only other team to submit a claim. In addition to the money owed to Robert this year, the Orioles will have to pay $2MM in the offseason if they buy out a $20MM club option for 2027. This injury, the latest in a long line of them since Robert’s hyped 2020 debut, would seem to increase the likelihood of a buyout. Robert has made double-digit trips to the IL during his career. Aside from playing 56 of 60 games during the 2020 COVID season and 145 of 162 in 2023, Robert has struggled to stay on the field. He sat out between 62 and 94 games in every other season preceding this one, and he has made just 61 appearances this year. With that in mind, it would be a sizable risk on the O’s part to exercise his option. Still, if Robert does reach free agency, he should draw a solid amount of interest in what will be a weak market at the position. Fellow veterans Daulton Varsho (Astros) and Trent Grisham (Yankees) are also on track to hit the open market, but they come with question marks of their own. Baltimore’s decision on Robert’s future is still weeks away. For now, they will have to try to rally without him. Colton Cowser will start in center on Sunday as the Orioles attempt to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the AL East rival Red Sox. Cowser and Leody Taveras figure to see the most time in center until Robert returns (if he does). View Comments (9)