Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart underwent a microfracture procedure on his right ankle today, the team announced. He’s expected to be able to resume baseball activities near the end of Spring Training, so today’s surgery places his Opening Day readiness in jeopardy.
It’s a tough setback for the 2015 first-round pick (25th overall to Baltimore), who mashed at a .291/.396/.548 clip while belting 12 home runs, 19 doubles and a pair of triples in 277 Triple-A plate appearances. Stewart’s impressive showing there netted him some time at the MLB level for the second straight season; in 189 plate appearances as a big leaguer, he’s slashed .241/.323/.422 with seven home runs.
Stewart has exhausted his prospect status at this point, though he entered the season generally regarded as one of the organization’s 15 best farmhands. There are some questions about his ultimate defensive home, given that he’s regarded a below-average runner and defender in both corner outfield spots. But Stewart has routinely demonstrated excellent plate discipline, pairing that with relatively low strikeout rates and solid power numbers. This latest surgery certainly doesn’t do anything to enhance his defensive outlook moving forward, but he’s the type of MLB-ready bat that should get an earnest look next season as the Orioles continue into the second full season of what looks to be a lengthy rebuilding process.
Check out the HR and RBI columns for this guy
Orioles fan here who has been following DJ Stewart for awhile. A lot of people don’t know or remember that he IS a first round draft pick. He was a high school running back. While he’s not exactly fast, he is rather quick and that has translated into stolen bases and better base running than you might expect. His defense has been a bit questionable with a weaker arm than you’d like and his speed seems to be straight line only, not very agile.
I was keen on him for a couple of reasons. First of all his OBP skill. For a guy that can also hit for some power and run a little bit, that is pretty impressive. It is something the Orioles lineup lacks almost at every spot in the order. We’re stock full of all or nothing swingers that are allergic to walks.
He has had some very uncanny/unlucky injuries. Earlier this season when he got his first call up he was just starting to get some regular playing time when he ran after a fly ball in the “Bermuda Triangle.” His teammate Hanser Alberto was giving chase. At the last second Stewart comes flying in and gets his glove on the ball, but rolls over Hanser and crashes into the wall and drops the ball and that’s probably where he injured his ankle.
After recouping some and during his second call up he was going after a fly ball and he misread it and got clunked in the head very hard which took him out of action for awhile.
The timing of all of this for him couldn’t be worse. The Orioles have almost nothing in the outfield and he could have gotten some play time. A potential OF mix of Stewart in LF, Hays in CF, and Santander/Mancini in RF looks pretty promising.
“While he’s not exactly fast, he is rather quick and that has translated into stolen bases and better base running than you might expect.” 2019 stats, 5 SB and 4 CS at Norfolk and 1 SB and 2 CS with Baltimore, not exactly translating into stolen bases…
http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=621466#/career/R/hitting/2019/ALL
given that he’s regarded a below-average runner…. I don’t understand that.
He actually has some speed and that is what got him into trouble
He hustled to make a catch and then is when Alberto clipped him and then caused all this micro fracture drama.
I like his bat, I was hoping he could turn into Rhys Hoskins, but now I am not sure what his deal is. Hopefully he can recover, but now he can’t work on anything this off-season, so why the O’s waited on this surgery is beyond me!
we’ll see how high a benchmark hoskins is in time
Reminds me of former 1st round draft pick, Jack Cust