The Orioles have chosen their initial reinforcements for the extra two roster spots they will have for the rest of the regular season.
Baltimore will call up outfielder Colton Cowser and reliever Joey Krehbiel on Friday, a source confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Both have appeared for the Orioles already this season and were already on the club’s 40-man roster.
Baltimore’s No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, Cowser struggled in his first major league stint, going 7-for-61 (.115) with a .433 OPS in July and August. But the 23-year-old has hit .314/.440/.524 in 69 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season. A left-handed hitter, Cowser provides depth at all three outfield spots. Once Cowser officially returns, all of the Orioles’ top six prospects entering the 2022 season will be on their major league roster.
The Orioles may well have used both additional spots on pitchers if they weren’t limited to a maximum of 14 on the roster. Krehbiel, a 30-year-old right-hander, has retired all five major league batters he has faced this year with two strikeouts. He spent most of 2022 in Baltimore’s bullpen, with a 3.90 ERA in 56 appearances.
There are no guarantees Cowser and Krehbiel remain on the roster for the rest of the season. Outfielder Aaron Hicks (low back strain) and left-hander John Means (recovery from Tommy John elbow reconstruction) are expected to come off the injured list in early September. The Orioles will also presumably look to keep a fresh arm available in the final spot of their bullpen, with right-handers Tyler Wells, Bryan Baker and Mike Baumann and left-hander Nick Vespi all being relief options already on the 40-man roster.
The Orioles could also bring up players not on their 40-man roster, such as outfield/first base prospect Heston Kjerstad, during this final stretch. Players typically must be on the 40-man roster or 60-day IL to be eligible for the postseason roster, but any player already in the organization by that date can still be made eligible if they’re replacing a player who has spent the requisite minimum time on the IL.
Although the Los Angeles Angels put several players on waivers in recent days, none of them made it to Baltimore. The Cleveland Guardians claimed starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez, while the Cincinnati Reds added outfielder Hunter Renfroe while also claiming outfielder Harrison Bader from the New York Yankees; Angels outfielder Randal Grichuk went unclaimed. The waiver order is based on the reverse standings, meaning the Orioles, with the best record in the American League, were ahead of only the Atlanta Braves.
MASNSports.com first reported Cowser and Krehbiel’s upcoming promotions.
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