Fantasy News

• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: On bench for fifth straight game

  Rotowire Apr 29, 2024

  Kjerstad is out of the lineup for Monday's contest against the Yankees. After starting the first game following his promotion from Triple-A Norfolk on April 23, Kjerstad has now been on the bench for five straight contests. Clearly, getting the 25-year-old consistent reps hasn't been a priority for manager Brandon Hyde. Colten Cowser and Anthony Santander will occupy the corner-outfield spots Monday, while Ryan Mountcastle will handle first base and Ryan O'Hearn will serve as Baltimore's designated hitter.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Promotion made official

  Rotowire Apr 23, 2024

  The Orioles recalled Kjerstad from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. Kjerstad had gotten off to an unbelievable start at Norfolk this season, slashing .349/.431/.744 with 10 home runs over 21 contests. It could be tricky finding consistent playing time for Kjerstad given the Orioles' bevy of options, but the left-handed batter will certainly be in the mix for starts between designated hitter, the corner outfield spots and first base against right-handed pitching.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Set for Tuesday promotion

  Rotowire Apr 22, 2024

  Kjerstad is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. Kjerstad could have difficulty seeing consistent playing time on a talented Baltimore roster, but he figures to get chances in the DH slot as well as in the corner outfield spots when his name is listed on the lineup card. Kjerstad has been mashing with the Tides, slashing .349/.431/.744 with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, one stolen base and 25 runs in 86 at-bats.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Plates 10 runs at Triple-A

  Rotowire Apr 4, 2024

  Kjerstad went 5-for-7 with two home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI and two additional runs Wednesday in Triple-A Norfolk's 26-11 win over Charlotte. The Norfolk roster features four of the top position prospects in baseball in Kjerstad, Jackson Holliday, Connor Norby and Coby Mayo, and the quartet lived up to its billing Wednesday in a rout of Charlotte. Kjerstad led the way with five hits and 10 RBI, but Holliday, Norby and Mayo combined for 11 hits and six RBI while No. 5 batter Kyle Stowers chipped in two home runs and seven RBI of his own. On the heels of his blistering performance at the dish, Kjerstad now owns a monstrous 1.785 OPS over five games for Norfolk on the season.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Struggling to begin spring

  Rotowire Mar 2, 2024

  Kjerstad has gone 2-for-14 over his first five Grapefruit League games. That's not a good sign for Kjerstad, who is in the midst of a tough battle for a roster spot. The Orioles' starting outfield is set with Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander, and while the team could carry two extra outfielders, Jorge Mateo includes outfield in his portfolio as a utility player. Kjerstad will need to get his bat going to separate himself from competition like Colton Cowser and Kyle Stowers.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Receives spot on ALDS roster

  Rotowire Oct 7, 2023

  Kjerstad is on the Orioles' roster for their ALDS matchup against the Rangers, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Kjerstad slashed .233/.281/.467 with two homers and three RBI after being promoted from Triple-A Norfolk in mid-September -- enough to secure himself a spot on the initial playoff roster. The 24-year-old rookie will likely serve as bench depth as Baltimore may choose to send out their experienced veterans more often for the postseason.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Takes seat Saturday

  Rotowire Sep 23, 2023

  Kjerstad isn't in the Orioles' lineup Saturday versus the Guardians, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Kjerstad will get a breather Saturday after starting his major-league career 5-for-21 with two homers across his first eight games. Adley Rutschman will operate as Baltimore's designated hitter instead while James McCann starts behind the plate.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Taking seat Thursday

  Rotowire Sep 21, 2023

  Kjerstad is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Cleveland. Kjerstad had started each of the previous three games at designated hitter, but he will begin this one on the bench. Anthony Santander will be at DH on Thursday while Aaron Hicks gets a start in right field.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Tallies first big-league homer

  Rotowire Sep 16, 2023

  Kjerstad went 1-for-2 with a solo home run Friday against the Rays. Kjerstad drew his first big-league start Friday. He struck out in his first plate appearance before leading off the sixth frame with his first career home run. Kjerstad was lifted for a pinch hitter with a lefty on the mound in his next plate appearance, an indication his playing time may be limited after he was also out of the lineup Thursday upon being called up to the majors.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Gets first MLB start

  Rotowire Sep 15, 2023

  Kjerstad will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh Friday against the Rays. Kjerstad made his major-league debut off the bench in Thursday's series opener versus Tampa Bay and will now get his first big-league start. Prior to being promoted to Baltimore, the 24-year-old had slashed .303/.376/.528 with 21 home runs in 122 games this summer between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Possible waiver wire pickups

  Rotowire Sep 14, 2023

  Kjerstad was pulled from the Triple-A lineup and put on a plane after Ryan Mountcastle suffered a shoulder injury Wednesday, so I think we all know what's coming next. And though the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft is primarily an outfielder, he has gotten plenty of work at first base this year. It's not clear he'd be the favorite to start over Ryan O'Hearn, who also bats left-handed and has put up good numbers, but Kjerstad is the more exciting choice as a natural slugger who has taken a big step forward with his contact skills this year. Of particular note is his 89.7 percent zone-contact rate, which means when he swings at a strike, he rarely misses. It's hard to put much trust in him at this late stage of the season, but he could make the sort of splash Jasson Dominguez did.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Making impression in spring

  Rotowire Mar 19, 2023

  Kjerstad is hitting .389 (14-for-36) in Grapefruit League play. Kjerstad has produced seven extra-base hits, including four home runs. The first-round pick from 2020 needed a strong spring after struggling at High-A Aberdeen this season, and the fact that he's still in major-league camp makes his performance all the more impressive. The outfield prospect will likely need to show more at High-A to begin the year, but it's reasonable to think the 24-year-old could be in Triple-A by the end of the season.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Poor results in High-A

  Rotowire Aug 31, 2022

  Kjerstad has hit just .214/.306/.317 with two home runs and one steal in 33 games since being promoted to High-A Aberdeen. Orioles fans and fantastically patient dynasty managers may have gotten their hopes up after Kjerstad rocked Single-A pitching while finally making his professional debut earlier this season, but the 23-year-old has found the going much tougher since being promoted. Though he gets something of a pass for all the time he's missed to illness and injury, it's not good to see someone his age struggling so mightily in High-A.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Advances to High-A

  Rotowire Jul 11, 2022

  The Orioles promoted Kjerstad from Single-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen on Monday. After losing out of the first two seasons of his professional career due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a heart condition along with a subsequent flareup and a hamstring injury, Kjerstad was finally cleared to debut for Delmarva on June 10. Despite the missed time, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 first-year player draft appeared unfazed by Single-A competition, as he slashed .463/.551/.650 across 98 plate appearances. He'll most likely spend the remainder of the campaign at Aberdeen, and a strong finish could set him up to open the 2023 season at Double-A Bowie.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Transferred to 60-day IL

  Rotowire May 8, 2022

  Kjerstad (hamstring) was transferred to the 60-day injured list at Low-A Delmarva. Kjerstad was already expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks after suffering a left hamstring strain in March, so this move doesn't alter his timeline much. He's not expected to be in action until early-to-mid-June at the earliest.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Moves to injured list

  Rotowire Apr 8, 2022

  Kjerstad (hamstring) was placed on the injured list at Low-A Delmarva on Friday, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. Kjerstad was ruled out for 8-to-12 weeks due to a high-grade hamstring strain in late March, so it's no surprise he'll open the minor-league campaign on the shelf. The 23-year-old has yet to make his professional debut since being selected second overall in 2020.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Pulls hamstring in intrasquad game

  Rotowire Mar 12, 2022

  Kjerstad pulled his hamstring in an intrasquad game Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Kjerstad indicated Thursday that he felt healthy heading into spring training, and he had been participating in some simulated games across the last several days. The severity of his hamstring issue isn't yet clear, but the Orioles will likely monitor his status in the coming days. The 23-year-old missed the entire 2021 campaign due to renewed heart inflammation that he experienced last spring, but he participated in the Orioles' fall instructional league camp during the offseason. Kjerstad said that he doesn't have any expectations related to his performance heading into the 2022 campaign, as he's instead hoping that he'll be able to remain healthy throughout the year while working on his swing.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Feels healthy heading into 2022

  Rotowire Mar 10, 2022

  Kjerstad said Thursday that he's played in two simulated games during minor-league spring training and has been feeling good since reporting to camp in late February, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. After being selected by the Orioles with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 first-year player draft, Kjerstad is still awaiting his professional debut. His inaugural pro season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he ended up sitting out the entire 2021 campaign after experiencing renewed heart inflammation last spring linked to a prior diagnosis of myocarditis. Kjerstad was cleared to rejoin the Orioles for fall instructionals, and he seems to have fortunately avoided any setbacks while continuing to train over the winter. The 23-year-old acknowledged Thursday that he's not setting any expectations for himself this season in terms of performance, as he simply wants to get through the year healthy while regaining a feel for his swing and playing the outfield following a prolonged layoff from game action. To that end, the Orioles may keep him around at extended spring training to pick up additional at-bats in simulated games even after the minor-league season opens in early April, though Kjerstad shouldn't have to wait long before he gets assigned to an affiliate.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Taking part in instructional ball

  Rotowire Oct 18, 2021

  Kjerstad (chest) reported to Sarasota, Fla. on Monday to begin taking part in the Orioles' fall instructional league camp, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Kjerstad has yet to make his professional debut after he was diagnosed with myocarditis shortly after being selected by Baltimore. The organization had been hopeful that Kjerstad would be ready to play at late in 2021, but those plans were thwarted after he experienced recurring inflammation of his heart over the summer. The 22-year-old outfielder has since resumed taking batting practice, and now he'll add more baseball activities to his ledger while taking part in instructional ball. Barring any setbacks in his recovery from the heart condition over the offseason, Kjerstad should head into spring training without any restrictions.

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• Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Nearing baseball activities

  Rotowire Aug 20, 2021

  Kjerstad (illness) is close to resuming baseball activities, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Kjerstad has yet to make his professional debut due a prolonged battle with inflammation in his heart. The 22-year-old outfielder recently resumed working out, and he's expected to begin baseball-related activities in the near future. Given the nature of the issue and the many hurdles Kjerstad still needs to get through, it seems possible that he doesn't play in his first pro game until 2022.

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