Trumbo ‘probably’ going on DL
Slugger to have knee examined; Andreoli likely to join club today
CLEVELAND – Outfielder/designated hitter Mark Trumbo left Sunday’s 8-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians in the eighth inning for a pinch hitter and was expected to return to Baltimore on Sunday instead of traveling with the team to Toronto to have his injured right knee further examined.
Trumbo has been dealing with right knee inflammation off-and-on for the entire season and had an injection to try and limit the pain Monday, but hasn’t felt improvement.
“His knee flared up on him, barking pretty good,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He’ll go back and see Dr. [Mike] Jacobs, I think he’s probably heading to the DL. We talked about it last time, but he had some good results from the treatment and the shot, but this last day or so, it’s kind of flared up on him again. He’ll go back and take a look at it.”
Outfielder John Andreoli, who the Orioles claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, will join the team in Toronto today in the likelihood that Trumbo’s knee injury lands him on the disabled list, according to an industry source.
A speedy outfielder out of the University of Connecticut, Andreoli made his major league debut this year with the Mariners after six years in the Chicago Cubs system. He has one hit in five major league at-bats and is batting .287 with a .798 OPS and 27 extra-base hits with 19 steals in 24 attempts for Triple-A Tacoma this season.
The Orioles also optioned outfielder Joey Rickard to Triple-A Norfolk after this weekend’s series in Cleveland to create a roster spot for Adam Jones, who is returning after three days away from the club on the bereavement list to attend a family funeral.
Rickard, the former Rule 5 draft pick, had been with the club since July 4, when Colby Rasmus left the team. He’s hit .243 with a .731 OPS and eight extra-base hits in 29 games since, bringing him to .221/.284/.426 on the season.
MASNSports.com first reported that Andreoli was joining the team in Toronto. Trumbo Villar settling in: Infielder Jonathan Villar has made a solid impression with his bat since last month’s trade from the Milwaukee Brewers, with a pair of home runs over the Orioles’ past four games starting to show his power.
Villar began his career as primarily a shortstop, the position he played Sunday as Tim Beckham got the matinee with Cleveland off. But recently with the Brewers, he played second base, where the Orioles have deployed him as a replacement for Jonathan Schoop.
If he hits the way he has, with a .271/.348/.458 batting line and three home runs with the Orioles, his bat will be valuable everywhere.
“His clock has gotten better,” Showalter said. “I think he’s kind of slowed down and, not calmed down, but kind of settled in. I think we’re going to get a pretty good feel for him before the season is over.” Scott fans three in homecoming: Left-hander Tanner Scott struck out all three batters he faced in the sixth inning Sunday in front of friends and family who came to see him from his nearby hometown.
Scott, who went to Howland High School one hour east of Cleveland, missed the Orioles’ trip to Cleveland last September, but bounced back from a rough outing Tuesday against the New York Mets to lower his ERA to 6.39. Around the horn: Outfielder Yusniel Díaz hit his third home run with Double-A Bowie Sunday, and is batting .300 in his past 10 games after a slow start since his trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers. … Alex Cobb’s complete game Saturday gave the Orioles two this season after Dylan Bundy pitched nine innings May 24 in Chicago, giving the Orioles multiple complete games for the first time since Kevin Gausman, Miguel González and Chris Tillman each pitched one in 2014. … Utility man Garabez Rosa hit a home run in each end of Triple-A Norfolk’s doubleheader Sunday. He has homered in each of his past three starts.