Friday Yard Thoughts: 1 Orioles player we need to remain patient with

The Baltimore Orioles have a very frustrating player hitter in Ramon Urias. He, like usual, is hitting the ball hard, just right at people. We need to be patient.

After Thursday afternoons series win against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramon Urias is hitting .213 with an OBP of .250. Even with the series ending, the Orioles haven’t seen Urias on the field since the Royals series due to abdominal discomfort.

With a handful of youngsters on the rise (Tyler Nevin and Rylan Bannon), Orioles fans need to be patient with Urias and his recovery, because when healthy, he can be so much for the O’s. As the Orioles head to Detroit to face the 9-23 Tigers, he still remains day-to-day.

Hitting and fielding are the linchpins to Urias game, as he is known for spreading the ball well (10-hits to left of center, 8-hits right of center), and at the same time, playing multiple defensive positions extremely well. When healthy, he has been a creator for the O’s, hitting the ball 89% of the time hard, and with a chase rate within the top 10% of the MLB.

Thursday Yard Thoughts: 1 Orioles player we need to remain patient with

The frustrating part with him hitting the ball so hard, and with such high velocity, is the part when he isn’t hitting. Even with his low chase rate, Urias still ranks 17th in the league with whiffs, and 23rd in strikeouts. He’s chasing the poor pitches, but he’s not always hitting the good ones either.

His abdominal strain may have a part in that, because these are unheard of numbers for the Orioles righty. Historically, he has struck out well below 25% of the time, but so far this year, he is closer to striking out 30% of the time.

Maybe it’s his abdominal, or maybe it’s just him getting settled into a new season, but whatever the case is, Orioles Nation needs to be patient. The utility-man, if you will, plays a key role for the O’s, and will ultimately be the deciding factor in his own future. The O’s have members in place to backfill for Urias, but he will need to be careful to not be overtaken. Be patient, he will come back!