As the Baltimore Orioles return to action from the MLB All-Star break, they will do so without Blaze Alexander for the foreseeable future.
Alexander, 27, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, retroactive to July 13th. The infielder was hit on the left hand by a 95.5 mph fastball from Kansas City Royals reliever Lucas Erceg, inciting the benches to clear in the bottom of the seventh inning of Baltimore's 8-2 victory.
The move to the IL was expected given the diagnosis that was provided during the All-Star break, although the Orioles have yet to provide a timeline for Alexander's injury. Alexander has been an under-the-radar acquisition by the Orioles during the offseason. He's jumped right into an everyday role with the team, given the injuries to Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone) and Jordan Westburg (torn UCL in right elbow).
In 82 games, Alexander is slashing .312/.368/.439 with four home runs, 29 RBI and nine stolen bases. Before he was removed from Sunday's game, Alexander was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. He was replaced by Coby Mayo, who took over at third base for the remainder of the game.
In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled former top prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand from Triple-A Norfolk. Encarnacion-Strand was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 34th round of the 2019 MLB Draft but did not sign; he re-entered the draft in 2021 and was selected in the 4th round by the Minnesota Twins.
CES has played all of his MLB games with the Cincinnati Reds, suiting up in 128 games between 2023 and 2025. During his time with the Reds, CES blasted 21 home runs with 72 RBI and a .679 OPS. Encarnacion-Strand has been able to hit for power whenever he has played, but poor plate discipline and below-average fielding have prevented him from carving out a full-time major league career.
The Orioles traded for Encarnacion-Strand back in April after the Reds designated him for assignment. In 61 games with Norfolk, CES has 17 home runs, 48 RBI and an .863 OPS while playing 45 games defensively at third base.
Mayo will likely pick up most of the playing time in Alexander's absence, but don't be surprised if the Orioles give CES a shot. He has the prospect pedigree to be a nice reclamation project for the Orioles, and has more than enough right-handed power to be an impact bat at Camden Yards.
