In an Orioles minor-league season in which there’s mainly been good news, there’s also been a constant reminder that developing baseball prospects can be precarious.
Case in point: outfielder Heston Kjerstad, whom the Orioles selected from the University of Arkansas with the second pick in the 2020 draft, bypassing more heralded players such as Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin and Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy.
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At the time, Kjerstad, 22, was viewed as a power-hitting lefty who could play strong corner-outfield defense and move quickly through the system.
Now the question is when — and maybe even if — Kjerstad will play in the minors.
Last offseason, Kjerstad contracted myocarditis, a viral infection that causes heart inflammation. He missed instructional league and spring training, joining the organization in April to begin conditioning workouts.
Orioles general manager Mike Elias told reporters Wednesday that Kjerstad has “experienced some recurrent inflammation with his heart, so that is slowing down our plan for his return to play.”
The Orioles initially were hoping Kjerstad could join a minor-league affiliate at some point this summer or, at the least, play in a fall or winter league. Now, the date of any potential return is murky.
“This is still a situation that we feel will be a matter of time. He’s putting a lot of work in. He’s very determined. This is a bump in the road. It’s a tricky condition, it’s a very serious one that requires us to be careful and deliberate,” Elias said. “It’s something we probably can’t put an artificial timeline on. We’re going to have to provide some further rest before entering a return-to-play protocol once again.”
My initial take on Kjerstad’s situation is one everyone should have: Baseball and the Orioles’ rebuild must take a back seat to this young man’s life. It would be a shame if he never plays in the major leagues, and never realizes his dream. But, for now, the most important thing is that he takes care of his health, leading to a long and prosperous life. Baseball is so secondary.
That said, baseball is also a business. And Elias and the Orioles gave Kjerstad a $5.2 million signing bonus and passed over more highly touted players — Kjerstad was widely ranked between eighth and 15th among draft-eligible amateurs in 2020.
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It’s a risk that now appears even riskier.
The Orioles selected Kjerstad partially because they could pay him under slot at No. 2 and then have extra money to spend over slot for other picks in a consolidated, six-round draft class. They did that by giving six-figure bonuses to two high school players, third baseman Coby Mayo and pitcher Carter Baumler.
None of the three has played for an Orioles affiliate yet. Baumler is lost for the year after having Tommy John surgery and Mayo has been dealing with a sprained knee, though he should be able to play within a week or so of rookie league opening June 28 in Florida.
Right now, all of this can be chalked up to unfortunate luck. A draft class can never be assessed in months. And it’s hard to point blame when health is concerned.
Elias was asked Wednesday whether it was possible that during the pre-draft scrutiny of Kjerstad, the Orioles, who are known for poring over medical information, may have missed something medically.
“No, not at all, not at all. It’s just a bad piece of luck that it’s happened to this kid, and it stinks for him and we’re going to help him through it, and he’ll get through it,” Elias said. “He’s proven really how tough he is through this.”
The Orioles have not released how Kjerstad contracted myocarditis, but he’s not alone in dealing with the condition. Boston Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez dealt with it after a bout of COVID-19 last year. Rodriguez, 28, missed all of 2020 but is back starting for the Red Sox this year. That gives some hope to Kjerstad’s situation.
“We’ve had some bad medical scares here very recently and there was another player in the league that had a condition very similar to this one very recently. They’re young, they’re healthy, they’re very determined individuals and they have world-class health care at their fingertips and we’re pushing every button we can push,” Elias said. “So, I think his odds to return are very good in that respect. But to have anyone, let alone a high draft pick like this, miss this amount of time, it’s obviously been a bummer.”
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Hall dealing with elbow injury
Kjerstad isn’t the only top pick shelved recently due to health concerns. Elias also announced that 2017 first-rounder DL Hall has been shut down temporarily with left-elbow tendinitis.
After Hall’s last start for Double-A Bowie, the 22-year-old “experienced a little more than normal soreness in the back of his elbow, posterior elbow, kind of near the triceps muscle,” Elias said.
An MRI showed inflammation but no structural damage, so, “we’ll pull him out of the rotation. Let him rest for a couple of weeks,” Elias said. “In several weeks, start to build him back up for a return to the Bowie rotation here in good time.”
So, the good news is it looks like this was caught quickly. It doesn’t appear to be a big deal at this point. And these things happen all the time, especially with young arms.
But this is also a reminder of the frailty of pitching. You never have enough. And a couple of key injuries can quickly derail the best-laid plans.
I still think a full rebuild was the way to go with this organization. But there are no guarantees of success here. Not only do you have to pick the right players, but they have to stay healthy.
Car-sleeping Baysox? Elias says not so
The Twitter account of the group Advocates for Minor Leaguers tweeted Tuesday evening that “multiple players on the Bowie Baysox are considering sleeping in their cars,” because they didn’t have the funds to pay for hotel rooms after arriving home from a 12-game road trip this week.
A few hours later, the same account tweeted the Orioles organization would be helping with the cost to an extent but still not picking up the full expense for home lodging (the organization pays fully for road lodging).
Elias was asked several questions about the issue and the advocacy group’s tweets during his media video conference Wednesday. He said the organization, “would never allow a situation where someone is not safe.”
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He said no one in the organization had heard anything about the possibility of players not having any lodging and that “reference to hearsay and any information there was not accurate. I can assure you all our players in Bowie have accommodations.”
Elias said this is all part of an ongoing issue surrounding minor-league pay and he believes the Orioles have been one of the leaders in assisting players not on their 40-man roster, including paying for the local lodging of many in their system in May.
Options have opened up more now, Elias said, including allowing vaccinated players to room together, something that was not permitted previously this year due to COVID-19 concerns. Restrictions for host families are also lessening, but that option is utilized more with players at lower levels than it is at Double A, where players are a little older and often have wives or girlfriends and, therefore, prefer living on their own, Elias said.
“We have options that we know lean toward the top of the league in terms of viability for these guys and it’s something that we’ve been told we’re at the upper end of the league in both our policies this year and some of the particular options that we’ve been able to make available,” Elias said. “We’ll keep looking at it, but I feel very strongly that we’re in a good spot relative to the rest of the league on this topic, and we’ll continue to make sure that’s the case, if not more so.”
My take: Minor leaguers need to be paid more. No doubt. But I also have a hard time believing that some were going to sleep in their cars yet changed their minds after getting a hotel discount. Incidentally, a couple of Baysox players have their own RVs so they don’t have to seek housing from one level to another.
All of this certainly hasn’t affected the play on the field. The Baysox, who roster four of the Orioles’ first-round picks from 2016 to 2019, have the best record in Double A.
Elias on Hyde’s future
Although the Orioles have never publicly stated it, multiple sources say manager Brandon Hyde signed a three-year deal with an option for a fourth season when he joined the club before 2019.
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That means this is the last year of his guaranteed deal; so, he’s managing for that 2022 option.
Elias was asked about Hyde’s employment Wednesday, and declined to offer specifics, but said Hyde “is not being judged on where we are in the standings in 2021.” Elias added that “I’m looking forward to getting back to the playoffs and hopefully all of us are still here together for that.”
My thoughts: Elias and Hyde knew what they were getting into when they took these jobs. There’s no way Elias can fault Hyde for the fact this team is bad right now.
Not only do I think Hyde will be this club’s manager to begin the 2022 season, but I also believe that option has already been picked up or, at the least, Hyde has been assured it will be.
(Photo of DL Hall: Courtesy of Joy R. Absalon)