Orioles Recall Former First Round Draft Pick After Injury

After weeks of tearing up minor league pitching, Heston Kjerstad is getting his second big league opportunity. His recall comes after the Orioles placed outfielder Austin Hays on the injured list with a calf strain on Monday.

Drafted second overall by the Orioles in 2020, Kjerstad is ranked No. 29 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. The 25-year-old outfielder batted .303 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk last season. Kjerstad was called up by the Orioles and made his major league debut in September following an injury to Ryan Mountcastle. He batted .233/.281/.467 with two home runs and three RBI in 13 games with the Orioles last season.

Kjerstad had a relatively quiet spring batting just .265/.294/.286 with a double and three RBI. He was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk to begin the 2024 season, but remained on the Orioles 40-man roster. In 21 games with Norfolk, Kjerstad has torn up Triple-A pitching, batting .349/.431/.744 with a 1.175 OPS. He leads all of Triple-A with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Baltimore’s No. 4 ranked prospect set a single-game Tides record with 10 RBI in Norfolk’s 26-11 win earlier this month.

Orioles Recall Top Prospect Heston Kjerstad

Hays left Saturday’s game in Kansas City early with a left calf strain and was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde does not expect Hays to be sidelined beyond the 10-day stint. Coming off of his first All-Star season, Hays is having a tough start to the year. The 28-year-old is batting just .111 with a .311 OPS in 19 games and 11 starts this season. Baltimore will replace the right-handed Hays with the left-handed Kjerstad.

“It’s been a little bit of a tough year for him so far this year,” Hyde said of Hays yesterday. “It’s unfortunate because I thought he was starting to swing the bat these last couple games he played and he’d be in there tonight, but injuries happen and hopefully just a little blip on a good season for him.”

Another roster move is expected today recalling Kjerstad after catcher David Bañuelos had his contract selected while on Baltimore’s taxi squad. Outfielder Peyton Burdick who was batting just .182 through 16 games with Triple-A Norfolk was designated for assignment.

Heston Kjerstad will join the Orioles in Anaheim and could crack the lineup tonight against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning.