Orioles get positive Heston Kjerstad update from camp, but he still has much to prove

One of the biggest question marks entering camp for the Baltimore Orioles pertains to outfielder Heston Kjerstad. The 27-year-old is a full participant in camp, but injury questions will linger until he stays on the field consistently.

So far, the early signs point in a positive direction. Kjerstad has already hit an impressive home run in batting practice so the bat seems to be in a good spot with guys shaking off the rust from winter.

Orioles seeing positive signs from Heston Kjerstad so far in camp

There has been some mystery surrounding Kjerstad and his time missed on the field. The Orioles were very vague about why he missed time last season and they used the word "fatigue" to describe his absence.

Kjerstad's had more concrete issues in the past like a concussion he suffered when he was hit in the head by a pitch, a hamstring issue, and myocarditis which he developed shortly after the Orioles drafted him with the second overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. Whatever issue he was dealing with surely contributed to a 2025 campaign that the former top prospect would like to forget.

Kjerstad broke camp with the big league club last season but the numbers just were not there at the big league level. In 54 games he slashed .192/.240/.327 with four home runs and 19 runs batted in. He was sent down to Triple-A to see if a stint in the minors could solve things, but they only got worse as he slashed .149/.225/.248 with two home runs and six runs batted in across 27 games.

It was not the reset he and the Orioles were hoping for, but maybe spring training this year can be his chance for a true reset. There is a lot of pressure that comes with being a top prospect. A player selected as high as Kjerstad is expected to be a solid big league contributor and the weight of those expectations can be crushing at times.

Kjerstad has been through enough ups and downs in his professional career that now he can just let loose and not worry about anything that is expected of him. An early Opening Day roster projection does not even have Kjerstad making the team, so he has a chance to go out with nothing to lose this spring and earn himself a roster spot if he gets hot at the plate.