The Orioles announced Thursday that outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who’s been out all season due to a hamstring strain, has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll fill the lone vacancy on Baltimore’s 40-man roster, which is now at capacity.
Formerly the No. 2 overall draft pick and one of the sport’s top prospects, the now-27-year-old Kjerstad still hasn’t experienced major league success. He’s appeared in parts of three big league seasons but compiled only a .218/.284/.365 slash in a total of 314 trips to the plate. The former Arkansas standout has fanned in 28% of his plate appearances in the majors and walked at only a 5.7% rate. Kjerstad makes a decent amount of hard contact but is far too prone to chasing off the plate and makes contact at a below-average rate when he expands the zone.
Though he’s struggled in limited major league looks, Kjerstad has a productive track record in Triple-A. He’s logged parts of four seasons at the top minor league level and delivered a hearty .274/.354/.482 slash with a 9.4% walk rate and 24% strikeout rate. He’s homered 29 times, collected 36 doubles and logged seven triples in 755 plate appearances at that level.
To this point, Kjerstad has never really gotten an extended look as an everyday outfielder. Health troubles have played a role in that but aren’t entirely at the root of the issue. He dealt with myocarditis early in his professional career and has twice been on the major league injured list due to concussions. Last year’s season ended with an unspecified medical issue; he reported severe fatigue to the Orioles, which prompted a wave of testing. The team never disclosed the results of that testing, but Kjerstad appears healthy enough for game action now.
Looking past those medical issues, however, Kjerstad’s calls to the majors have typically come to replace a more established outfielder who’s on the shelf with an injury. The O’s have also platooned him heavily despite pretty decent left-on-left numbers in the minors from 2022-24. The Orioles were rebuilding when Kjerstad was drafted in 2020, but much of his time on the cusp of the majors (and in the majors) has come when the O’s have been operating with more of a win-now focus. That’s led to veteran acquisitions of Tyler O’Neill, Taylor Ward, Ramon Laureano and others. Some have worked out better than others, but all have combined to cut into would-be opportunities for Kjerstad.
Assuming Kjerstad spends more than 20 days in the minors, today’s transaction will burn his final minor league option year. The O’s will presumably want to get him a real look later in the season, as he’ll head into 2027 without any minor league options, meaning he’d have to make the roster or else be designated for assignment. Young outfielders like Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers haven’t really cemented themselves as fixtures in the Oriole outfield as the team had hoped, so there might still be some opportunity for Kjerstad to seize a spot if he’s called up later this year. If not, he’ll have to win a job heading into the ’27 season. Speculatively speaking, he could also emerge as a change of scenery candidate at this year’s deadline or in the offseason.
Poor guy, the orioles have done him no favors.
He’s been hurt for like 80% of his career.
You can argue more that he’s done them no favors. An endless array of injuries and issues. I feel bad for him but he’s 27, unless he’s a late bloomer, tough to see him really working out unless he comes in and just tears it up and forces their hand.
This is so poorly researched and presented. First let’s start with an OPS between 900 and 1200 at each stop in the minors. Then his launch is stalled by myocarditis.
Finally, he has good start in Baltimore in 23 – so much so that as a late call up he was added to the playoff roster.
Since then a series of concussions and whatever he was dealing with last year – none of our business. The point is that citing his stats with all those health issues misses the entire point.
I said last year that it’s hard to imagine him ever finding his form but let’s not paint him as a failed prospect without legit explanation.
Porcupine – how is this one the orioles fault ? Can’t wait for this one. Did they give him COVID? Did they ask Clay Holmes to intentionally throw at his head – likely ending his career?
Orioles have a tendency to yoyo their prospects. Quick to platoon, quick to sign mediocre outfielders instead of giving him an extended look. No doubt his health issues have also played a role. But the orioles have a long list of underdeveloping their prospects.
Orioles need to reevaluate the whole scouting department. 4 picks in top 5 and not one is an above average everyday player.