Orioles finally return two key contributors from IL with two weeks left

The long list of Orioles players on the IL finally got a bit shorter, with outfielder Heston Kjerstad and reliever Jacob Webb returning ahead of Sunday afternoon's matchup with the Tigers.

Kjerstad spent six weeks on the IL dealing with the after-effects of a concussion sustained back in July. He was a vital piece of the Orioles lineup before going down with the initial injury and his return should be a major boost for a lineup struggling to consistently put runs on the board in the second half.

Likewise, Webb spent about six weeks on the IL with an elbow injury sustained at the beginning of August. There was some immediate concern about Webb's injury requiring a long-term absence but thankfully his elbow cooperated and Webb was able to return in relatively short order.

The two both made appearances in Detroit on Sunday afternoon, though neither was particularly impressive. Kjerstad went 0-2 and left 3 men on base before being pinch hit for by Eloy Jimenez. Kjerstad will likely see the majority of time at DH over the next two weeks considering the reemergence of center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Heston Kjerstad and Jacob Webb return just in time for Orioles to chase Yankees for division lead

Rookie of the year candidate Colton Cowser has been struggling of late but is a much better defender than Kjerstad so it'll take some time for the latter to displace the former. Kjerstad could also see time at first base depending on the timeline for Ryan Mountcastle. Ryan O'Hearn has been playing a bit of first base as well but if Kjerstad gets hot, he could take at-bats away from O'Hearn.

Webb threw an inning on Sunday and allowed a run on a walk and a hit. Matt Vierling drew the walk and just barely beat an accurate throw from Adley Rutschman to steal second base. The steal proved important as second baseman Colt Keith slapped a single into left field and Vierling was able to beat the throw from Cowser at the plate to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 6th.

Webb has been one of the few effective relievers for the Orioles this year, pitching to a 3.08 ERA prior to Sunday's appearance. The righty took the spot of lefty Cole Irvin, who was DFA'd in the corresponding move. Dumping Irvin leaves the Orioles with few options when it comes to long relievers, but Irvin had been so bad in the second half that his removal from the roster was warranted.

In order to get Kjerstad back on the roster, Nick Maton was also designated for assignment. The 27 year old utilityman was signed for exactly this type of scenario but failed to get on base in any of his five plate appearances. Maton did have success at Triple-A Norfolk this year but has not historically been a productive major leaguer, hitting .205/.303/.357 in just over 500 career plate appearances.

Both Maton and Irvin will likely pass through waivers unclaimed but in the event where another team nabs one of them, their departures won't be particularly notable. Irvin served his purpose and the Orioles can find other similar solutions rather than using Maton.

With any luck, the returns of Kjerstad and Webb will give the Orioles enough of a boost to catch the Yankees and reclaim the lead in the AL East. They'll enter Monday 3 games back in the division with just 12 games left to play, so they'll need all the help they can get.