Baltimore Orioles: Chance Sisco Likely On His Way Back To Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles optioned two players to Norfolk after Sunday’s game.

It appears that another hot-hitting Norfolk Tides player has earned a chance at proving their abilities at the major league level with the Baltimore Orioles. Despite hitting three home runs on Sunday, it’s not Ryan Mountcastle, but it could be catcher Chance Sisco.

After Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Orioles announced via Twitter that they have optioned catcher Austin Wynns and utility man Stevie Wilkerson to AAA Norfolk.

As I wrote earlier today, with the news of Chris Davis rejoining the team in Texas, the logical roster casualty was Stevie Wilkerson. Trey Mancini will be forced back to the outfield and DJ Stewart isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It pretty much leaves a struggling Wilkerson as the odd man out.

Optioning Wynns is also not very surprising, but I didn’t think it would happen quite yet. Wynns has been just a body to give Pedro Severino a day off, hitting .225 with just one extra-base hit in his 15 games this season.

The Orioles have yet to announce any corresponding moves, but it’s safe to say that Chris Davis will be officially added back to the roster, with Chance Sisco earning the call-up to take the place of Wynns.

Sisco has been hot for much of the season with the Norfolk Tides, once he settled in and got over his initial struggles to start the year. In 44 games, Sisco is slashing .289/.383/.530 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles, and 37 runs driven in. Over his last 10 games, he’s hitting .381 with three home runs.

Offensively, Sisco has done all he can in the minor leagues. His strikeout rate has dropped in AAA over the last three seasons of time spent with the Tides and his offensive production as a whole as increased. But his offense has never been the issue.

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I will give Sisco credit. His defense has improved since the beginning of the season. Early on, it was brutal. I even tweeted out at one point that I never wanted to see Sisco catch another game again. This was after three-straight games of watching him throw balls into the outfield, allow multiple balls to the backstop on pitches that should have been blocked, and looking largely uncomfortable behind the plate.

His defense still isn’t great, but it is better. He now gets the opportunity to work with major league pitchers again and work with Severino, who is having a season which has surpassed expectations of most.

Again, nothing has been made official as of 5 pm Sunday evening, but with only one catcher now on the active roster, I think it’s safe to make the assumption that Chance Sisco is getting the call, If so, congratulations. It’s a well-earned opportunity.

**Editor’s note- The Orioles officially recalled Chance Sisco on Monday afternoon. **

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