What Cedric Mullins' neck injury could mean for the Orioles outfield

On Thursday afternoon, outfielders Cedric Mullins and Austin Slater collided while chasing down a fly ball hit by Giants infielder Casey Schmitt in the top of the 9th inning. Slater and Mullins both went full speed into the warning track in right center and Slater unfortunately smashed into a diving Mullins, leading to a single and an RBI for Schmitt on the play.

After a brief delay, both Mullins and Slater stayed in the game. Mullins struck out in the bottom half of the 9th just before Anthony Santander came up and walked off the Giants to stave off a sweep and give the Orioles a much needed win.

While Slater started in left field for Friday's matchup with the surging Tigers, Mullins was listed as unavailable due to lingering pain in his neck from the collision the day prior.

For now, the Orioles haven't offered much in the way of information other than the fact that Mullins is being treated as day-to-day. There hasn't been any word about x-rays or an MRI to reveal the extent of the damage sustained but the obvious hope is that it's just a day off for Mullins considering how close we are to the end of the season.

The Orioles can't afford to lose Cedric Mullins this close to the postseason

Unfortunately, the Orioles just can't seem to get out of their own way when it comes to the injury bug this year. While we've gotten good news about Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias recently, if Mullins has to miss time this will obviously become a problem.

Mullins got off to a dreadful start, hitting .214/.256/.373 in the first half. Thankfully he was able to pull it together after the All Star break and went on a bit of a tear. Thanks to a red-hot September, Mullins' second half line is up to .253/.374/.452 with exceptional plate discipline.

The lefty has been one of the few consistent pieces in the lineup during the second half, even as the offense as a whole has struggled to keep pace. In the scenario where Mullins has to sit out for a handful of games between this weekend and early next week, Slater would likely see his role increase.

The Orioles are currently running with Anthony Santander and Colton Cowser in the outfield. Cowser would have to shift to center field in Mullins' absence. Heston Kjerstad was used as a DH in his first couple games back but saw limited time in the outfield in both Thursday and Friday's games.

It feels like the Orioles want to limit Kjerstad's role in the outfield for the time being, if only to minimize any risk of aggravating the concussion symptoms he dealt with during his extended trip to the IL. If they feel comfortable giving Kjerstad more run in the outfield, it would likely put Eloy Jimenez in a position to see more playing time at DH.

Neither option is ideal, as both Jimenez and Slater have struggled at the plate. With any luck, Mullins can hopefully return either today or tomorrow and pick up where he left off. The Orioles can't afford another long-term injury this close to the postseason, especially not to one of the hottest hitters in an already struggling lineup.