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Ryan Mountcastle· 1B
Mountcastle was set to come off the 60-day injured list today but will now become a free agent instead. There are reports that the Orioles are still interested in bringing back the 29-year-old, but Pete Alonso’s presence in Baltimore makes Mountcastle less of an impact player. Mountcastle has not played over 125 games since 2022, so injuries have sapped a little bit of the upside he showed back in his early seasons in Baltimore.
Franklin has been sidelined with hand inflammation for just under two weeks, so he may not need a long ramp-up; however, Mountcastle has been out with a fractured foot since April 11th because he also suffered an oblique strain at the end of July. He will be on a far longer return-to-play timeline and may struggle to make it back by the end of the regular season.
Mountcastle suffered the injury while warming up for his first minor league rehab game. He has been sidelined since mid-April due to a fractured left foot and was finally on the precipice of rejoining the Orioles. It seems unlikely now that he’ll make it back before the end of the 2026 regular season.
Mountcastle has been on the shelf with a fractured left foot since mid-April. It’s unclear why the Orioles decided to pull the plug on his rehab assignment after announcing it earlier this week. There should be a clearer picture regarding his next steps at some point later this week.
Mountcastle has been out since fracturing his left foot back in mid-April. He’s probably going to need a couple weeks to get back up to speed before he’s an option for Baltimore.
Mountcastle will be sidelined for at least the next two months after suffering a foot fracture over the weekend. The 29-year-old was mostly limited to a bench role with season with Pete Alonso taking over at first base in Baltimore and top prospect Samuel Basallo at DH.
Mountcastle has somehow managed to avoid hitting the injured list after suffered a broken toe over the weekend. The 29-year-old will remain on Baltimore’s bench for Monday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks but is highly unlikely to make an appearance.
Mountcastle suffered the injury Saturday while picking up the double. The 29-year-old will be placed on the injured list before Baltimore’s next game, and there’s a good chance he’ll need to miss significantly more than the minimum 10-day stint.
Mountcastle fell to his side after hitting a double, and he was unable to continue. The 29-year-old was only in because of Adley Rutschman’s ankle injury, and it appears Baltimore may have another player that won’t be available. The severity of Mountcastle’s injury should be made public soon.
Mountcastle finds himself in Baltimore’s lineup for just the second time this season with his lone start coming back on March 31. It’ll be Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers on the bench with Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill getting an opportunity to face White Sox opener Grant Taylor, who has been excellent this season.
It’s possible Mountcastle will undergo additional imaging to rule out anything signifiant but initial tests didn’t reveal anything serious. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters the 29-year-old first baseman is dealing with some soreness after being hit by a pitch during Wednesday’s spring contest. It doesn’t sound like he’s facing an extended absence. He’s going to have a reduced role during the regular season with Pete Alonso taking over at first base and former top prospect Coby Mayo looking like he’s going to make the club thanks to a strong spring performance.
No hard-hit balls for Mountcastle today, but everything was well placed. He’s 7-for-18 this spring as he battles for playing time between first base and DH. Pete Alonso will be at one of those spots pretty much every single day, so Mountcastle’s playing time will hinge on how often the Orioles want both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo in the lineup.
This is an interesting deal now that Pete Alonso is in Baltimore. Mountcastle was limited to just 89 games in 2025, hitting .250 with seven home runs. However, he’s a .263/.312/.438 career hitter with 98 home runs in 652 games. If he were healthy and productive, a $7.5 million deal would be extremely good value for him. With Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo also battling for reps at 1B/DH, the added club option may make it a bit easier for the Orioles to trade Mountcastle should they decide that’s the path they want to go down.
There was a thought that Mountcastle could be non-tendered because of his injury issues and a salary that will likely pay him $8 million plus for 2026, but Baltimore will keep the 28-year-old. For now. Mountcastle is as obvious a trade candidate as there is, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him playing elsewhere before the start of the campaign.
Mountcastle DH’d today in what might have been his final home game in Baltimore. He’s hit .262/.301/.404 with five homers and 20 RBI in 36 games since returning from a strained hamstring. The Orioles have him under control for one more year, but they might decide against paying the $8 million or so it would take to bring him back in arbitration.
Mountcastle’s homer left the bat at 114.3 mph. He also hit balls 106.0 mph and 104.3 mph off Will Warren, with the latter turning into his sac fly. He’s hitting an adequate .272/.309/.408 in 32 games since returning from his hamstring strain. It’s at least a whole lot better than his .246/.280/.348 line in 52 games pre-injury.
Usual leadoff man Jackson Holliday is getting this one off with lefty Max Fried on the mound. With Tyler O’Neill back in the mix and the Orioles having committed to Coby Mayo at first, Mountcastle had been out of the lineup five times in seven games. He seems destined to be moved this winter, unless maybe the Orioles decide that Mayo isn’t the answer at first.
Samuel Basallo will shift to DH with Alex Jackson starting behind the plate. Mountcastle has hit .282/.325/.409 in 28 games since coming off the IL with three home runs, 16 RBI, and two steals. He should be back in the starting lineup on Friday and remains the favorite to start at first base for the Orioles in 2026.
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