Blaze Alexander is batting eighth in the Baltimore Orioles lineup again on Thursday, and manager Craig Albernaz has an explanation for why one of the team's best hitters keeps getting placed at the bottom of the order.
Albernaz said that keeping Alexander lower in the lineup helps "lengthen" it and gets it "turned around to the top." He also noted that Alexander "seems pretty comfortable where he's at hitting," a stance he has maintained throughout the first half.
The remarks came ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Camden Yards, where Alexander is starting at third base against left-hander David Peterson. Baltimore has dropped the first two games of the series, 5-2 and 9-7, and is looking to avoid a sweep heading into the All-Star break.
Alexander, 27, is batting .309 with a .360 on-base percentage, an .805 OPS, three home runs and 28 RBIs across 79 games this season. He has played at least six different positions for Baltimore and has been one of the club's most consistent contributors despite rarely batting above eighth.
He was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 5 in exchange for right-hander Kade Strowd and two minor leaguers. He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He debuted on March 28, 2024 and is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Dan Plesac and cousin of pitcher Zach Plesac.
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The Orioles are 42-51 and last in the American League East. The team is 10-16 against left-handed starters this season, one of the ongoing issues Albernaz has tried to address through lineup construction.
Whether Albernaz moves Alexander higher in the order in the second half remains the biggest open question around one of the team's most valuable players heading into the break.
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