BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - If the Orioles are going to return to the playoffs this season, they will have to do it without the leadership and production of Robi Izquirdo for most of 2040.
The Orioles transferred their team captain to the 60-Day DL and announced that their team captain would miss a minimum of 3 months with an elbow injury suffered in a April 24th game against the Boston Red Sox. Izquirdo suffered a posterior fracture of his right elbow after he was hit by a pitch in the 4th inning. Izquirdo
Izquirdo only played in 75 games for Baltimore last season, as an elbow injury in July shelved him for the rest of the 2039 season, with his injury cited as a major reason for the Orioles highly disappointing 82-80 record last year. At the time of the injury, Izquirdo was hitting .308 with a .936 OPS in 11 games this season.
Robi Izquirdo was not considered an impact player during his tenure in the minor leagues, or in brief major league action with the Texas Rangers, but blossomed into a superstar when he was traded to the Orioles in 2032 in exchange for cash considerations. Izquirdo has long been a fan favorite in Camden, due to his underdog story and great numbers on both offense and defense, with many Orioles fans calling him the team's best third baseman since Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.
Team GM George Fitzpatrick was highly confident than Robi Izquirdo would return at some point this season, stating that "Robi is the last player you should count out when the chips are down," and is confident the team can stay in the race without the 4-time All Star. "We have a lot of talent in our lineup, and we are one of the few teams that can afford to lose a player of his caliber and still put a top offense on the field."
Replacing Izquirdo at 3rd will be former Oakland starter Geoff Johnson, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk today. Johnson signed a 2.4 million, 2 year contract with the Orioles in the off-season and was signed by Fitzpatrick to give the team extra depth in the infield. Johnson is known for his incredible arm and glove at 3rd base, but also has some pop, hitting at least double-digit homeruns in 6 straight seasons. However, Johnson only hit .220 last season and struggled with the bat mightily in 2038 as well, with many scouts only considering the 30-year old to be a platoon or bench player at this stage of his career. Fitzpatrick appears confident in Johnson, stating that he will be playing at 3rd base every day for the foreseeable future and added "challenges like this are the reason why we signed Geoff over the winter, and he will do a fine job for us."
The Orioles currently stand at 15-12 and have won 7 of their last 10 games.
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