BALTIMORE — Trying to improve their depth and defense in the outfield, the Orioles claimed veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
With Adam Jones recently sidelined with a left hamstring injury, Baltimore has been short in the outfield and primarily using corner outfielder Nolan Reimold in center. Jones is expected to return to the lineup by the weekend, but the Orioles envision the 31-year-old Stubbs filling a void as a late-inning defensive replacement and reserve outfielder that hasn’t really been filled since Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard suffered a thumb injury in late July.
In 67 plate appearances with the Atlanta Braves and the Rangers this season, Stubbs is hitting .259 with three home runs, six RBIs, and a .757 on-base plus slugging percentage. He is a career .244 hitter with a .710 OPS over eight major league seasons.
Capable of playing all three outfield spots, Stubbs has mostly played in center during his career, giving the Orioles a backup for Jones in the final month of the season. The right-handed hitter has struggled to hold down a steady job over the last two seasons, but he hit 15 home runs in a season as recently as 2014 and reached double digits in stolen bases every year from 2009-2014, which provides manager Buck Showalter with a little speed off the bench.
To make room on their 40-man roster, the Orioles designated newly-acquired left-handed relief pitcher Kyle Lobstein for assignment with the hope that he clears waivers and remains in the organization. Baltimore acquired the 27-year-old Lobstein from Pittsburgh in exchange for minor-league lefty Zach Phillips earlier in the day.
