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Baltimore Orioles vs Los Angeles Angels: 5 players to watch

By Sam Belden

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Dylan Bundy #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Dylan Bundy #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 11: Mark Trumbo #45 of the Baltimore Orioles is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during MLB game action as Marco Estrada #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts at Rogers Centre on September 11, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Mark Trumbo, DH

Trumbo was having a rough spring training when he suffered a quadriceps strain that kept him sidelined for Opening Day. After a cautious rehab assignment, the towering righty is finally set to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday.

In a post that went live yesterday, I pointed to Trumbo’s regression in 2017 and argued that Orioles fans should be skeptical of his ability to turn the offense around. That said, he can still be incredibly dangerous when he’s swinging it well.

Check out this blast from last year, featuring the highest pitch hit for a homer of 2017:

It boils down to this: in 2016, Trumbo’s first year in Baltimore, he slugged .533. Last year, that figure dropped to .397. It may take him a while to find his groove against major league pitching, but if he can put up numbers that come close to his 2016 performance, he’ll be a major asset, his one-dimensional game notwithstanding.

For what it’s worth, Trumbo has hit well against the Angels’ probables for this week, with homers against both Nick Tropeano and Andrew Heaney on his resume. A successful series could be just what he needs to jump-start a productive season. With any luck, he’ll reestablish his trade value before the deadline.

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