Baltimore Orioles Hanser Alberto Out with Knee Issue & Other News

Now that the dust has settled on the August Trade Deadline, the team has to deal with an injury to Hanser Alberto.

The Baltimore Orioles only expect him to be out for the series against the Mets, but his absence will be felt.

Alberto jammed it in a slide on Monday in the finale against the Blue Jays. Fortunately, the Orioles were able to walk away with a long-awaited win in Buffalo. Alberto went 1-4 in the win, but after the slide was replaced by pitcher Cesar Valdez who entered the game in the 11th and took Alberto’s spot in the batting order. He never swung the bat despite the odd switch.

According to several sources, Alberto’s jammed knee is a minor injury and he most likely only needs a couple of days to recover. The O’s play the Mets Tuesday and Wednesday, then get a day off before playing the Yankees. This gives Alberto an extra day off without missing another game. The next two New York series are at Camden Yards.

During his absence, Cedric Mullins will take the leadoff spot. In 2019, Mullins was one of the fastest center fielders in the game with a speed from home to 1st of 4.06 seconds. He’s slow a bit in 2020.

More from Orioles News

• Baltimore Orioles Sign RP Mychal Givens
• Gunnar Henderson: Destroyer of Four-Seam Fastballs
• Which Current Baltimore Orioles Pitchers Have the Best Curveballs?
• Orioles News: Should the O’s Pursue Eovaldi? + More MLB News
• Should the Baltimore Orioles Consider Signing Nathan Eovaldi?

With the three trades at the deadline, the Orioles front office had a few holes to fill, especially in the bullpen. According to details from MLB.com, the Orioles brought Dilson Herrera and DJ Stewart. Herrera will be an infield bench option who will take Alberto’s spot for a few days. Stewart will see if he can make some waves in the outfield.

For the first Mets game, Pat Valaika will take Alberto’s spot in second. But, he’s needed for other positions around the field.

The Orioles need to get a few more wins as we turn to the final month of the regular season. The Orioles entered September with a .441 winning percentage. That puts them in fourth place in the AL East. It would also put them in fourth in the AL Central. But, that .441 win percentage would put them in third in the AL West.

If the playoffs happened today, the top three teams would the Rays, White Sox, and Athletics. The second tier would include the Yankees, Indians, and Astros. Then, the Blue Jays and Twins would fill the seventh and eighth spots. The Tigers at .500 and Orioles .441 are both just a few games out of the playoffs.