With three players from the Orioles’ Opening Day roster now on the 15-day disabled list and at least one roster move being made every day this week, another change is coming as veteran infielder Bill Hall will become the latest member of the Norfolk Tides to head north to Baltimore.
Hall posted an update from his official Twitter account early Saturday morning that he was being called up after spending the last few weeks at Triple-A Norfolk. He told WNST.net he will fly to Baltimore Saturday morning.
“Got the word a [little] while ago,” Hall said on Twitter. “Just got called up to [the] Orioles. See [you] guys at Camden Yards [Saturday] night. Let’s go O’s!”
The veteran signed a minor-league deal in late April after failing to make the New York Yankees’ 25-man roster out of spring training. Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette cited Hall’s ability to play multiple positions as well as his ability to hit left-handed pitching as reasons for his addition to the organization at the time of the signing.
It remains unclear whose place Hall will be taking on the roster, but the Orioles need production in left field with Nolan Reimold and Endy Chavez sidelined due to injury. Hall has played 240 games in the outfield over his 10-year career in the big leagues, 78 of those in left field.
In 15 games with the Tides, Hall was hitting .222 with two home runs and seven runs batted in over 63 at-bats. The 32-year-old has played third base in 11 games and served as the designated hitter in four. For those hoping to find relief at third base from the defensive struggles of Mark Reynolds and Wilson Betemit, Hall is not considered to be a strong defender and committed four errors in his 11 games at third with Norfolk.
Hall is a career .248 hitter with 124 home runs and 439 runs batted in in the big leagues. His best season came in 2006 when he hit 35 home runs and drove in 85 runs in 148 games for the Milwaukee Brewers.
He spent eight seasons with Milwaukee but has been with seven organizations since the beginning of the 2009 season.
In addition to clearing space on the active roster for Hall, the Orioles will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The club designated infielder Zelous Wheeler for assignment on Friday to make room for Dana Eveland, who made his first start for the Orioles in a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay.
