An Orioles season spiraling out of control took another bad turn Monday with Chris Davis suffering a strained right oblique in the series opener against the Chicago White Sox.
The first baseman was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list prior to Wednesday’s game after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain. The Orioles selected the contract of first baseman and outfielder David Washington to take his place on the 25-man roster and shifted Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander (right forearm strain) to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
It’s been a frustrating season for Davis, who currently leads the majors with 95 strikeouts and is hitting just .226. He leads the club with 14 home runs, but his .781 on-base plus slugging percentage is his lowest since 2014.
These types of injuries often sideline a player for a month or two, but Davis missed only two weeks with an oblique issue in 2014. Of course, he dealt with lingering effects and hit only .184 for the rest of that campaign.
In Davis’ absence, rookie Trey Mancini has made the first two starts at first base while Trumbo and Washington could also receive time there.
Washington’s promotion came as a surprise with veteran Pedro Alvarez currently at Triple-A Norfolk, but the former St. Louis Cardinals farmhand has batted .291 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles, and an .861 OPS for the Tides. The 26-year-old was making his major league debut as the designated hitter in Wednesday’s game against the White Sox.
Manager Buck Showalter said outfielder Seth Smith was unavailable Wednesday because of an undisclosed injury. Hyun Soo Kim was leading off and playing left field for a Baltimore club trying to snap a six-game losing streak.
