The Orioles announced that they have chosen a defensive player Kyle Storrs And the right hand Rico Garcia In the Major League roster as designated COVID-19 ‘alternatives’. In the corresponding moves, they put a defensive player Anthony Santander and left Keegan Akin in the restricted list. This is standard practice for players who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 on teams bound for a series in Toronto. The Canadian government is banning unvaccinated athletes from crossing the border, so Santander and Aken will miss the next four matches.
Stowers is the most famous of the two call-ups, as he’s now in line to make his major league debut. A complementary pick-up at Stanford’s second round back in 2019, the left-handed hitter has been one of the most intriguing prospects for the establishment since that point. Stowers appeared among the top 30 quality agricultural workers in the Baltimore system each season from 2020 to 22nd, according to Baseball America, with the outlet recently placing it 9th in the minor league.
Primarily a corner player, the Stowers’ calling card is his potential speed and power. BA rated his raw strength as a plus (70 on a 20-80 scouting scale), and he featured 27 home runs and 23 times across three minor league levels last season. Stowers pulled a lot of walking, too, but he’s made more than 30% of his appearances at each stop, and both Baseball America and Keith Law of the Athletic have raised questions about how often he swings across stadiums within the strike zone.
To Stowers’ credit, he’s lowered the strike rate so far in the 2022 campaign. With 209 board appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he’s hit .253/.356/.545 with 12 homeowners and a 25.4% more strike percentage. That’s still a few points north of the league average, but it’s undoubtedly an improvement over last season and hasn’t come at the expense of Stowers’ off-base influence.
Meanwhile, Garcia is heading into the majors for the first time in two years. The Honolulu native was a fit for the Rockies and Giants between 2019-20, throwing 16 runs of 7.31 balls between the division’s contenders. Garcia missed the entirety of last season recovering from Tommy John’s surgery, and was tied for a minor league deal last winter. He has a 1.93 ERA across 18 2/3 innings between three levels, and has made 37.2% of opponents along the way.
It’s worth noting that Baltimore has identified both Stowers and Garcia as alternatives to COVID, with each temporarily occupying a spot on the 40-man list. Both players could be taken off the roster and sent back to Norfolk when Santander and Aken are eligible to return on Friday, and that appears to be the most likely measure.
Storrs, in particular, will have a permanent place on the list in the relatively near future. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man squad early next season to keep him from the Base 5 draft, and Baltimore could pitch him for an extended look at the league’s big arms before long given his strength. The height of the width of the palace.
In other news for O, the club announced that player Chris Owings It may have gone through a release waiver without a claim. He is now a free client. Baltimore property designated for assignment last week After .107 / .254 / .143 the season begins.