The Orioles DFA’d Hummel after one day. Now he’s here again.
The Orioles roster merry-go-round is spinning once again. Ahead of Friday’s series opener against the White Sox, the O’s placed Cedric Mullins on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. At the same time, the team (again) signed outfielder Cooper Hummel to a free agent contract for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Mullins sat out the first two games of the recent series against the Cardinals, with the team staying mum on why. One could reasonably guess that the Orioles were not using Jorge Mateo as a center fielder as a first choice. Though Mullins had two hits in that finale against St. Louis, it seems that the hamstring issue that had him out for a couple of games has lingered. Better to just let him rest it on the IL than keep pushing through. There’s no need for anyone to hurt themselves worse playing for the 2025 Orioles.
Hummel was signed by the Orioles on Sunday after he had opted out of a minor league contract with the Yankees. At that time, the O’s needed some more outfield backup after Ramón Laureano was on the injured list. Hummel was designated for assignment the very next day with the Orioles also managing a “we don’t want to put him on the IL but we don’t want to play him” situation with catcher Adley Rutschman.
The Orioles were staying mum about Rutschman after he was removed from Sunday’s game following a foul tip off of his mask. Needing some other catcher on the roster, they brought up Chadwick Tromp, a recent depth signing, from Norfolk. Even after Rutschman returned, Tromp remains, leaving three catchers on the roster. It all feels very disorganized and chaotic.
To clear a space on the 40-man roster to sign Hummel (again), the Orioles transferred pitcher Cody Poteet onto the 60-day injured list. We all definitely remembered that Poteet was on the Orioles injured list, no question.
The 30-year-old outfielder, who has posted a .531 OPS across parts of three major league seasons, is back with the O’s until the fickle winds of Mike Elias’s marginal roster maneuvering blow him back off of it. Maybe he will be the first guy back off the roster when one of the injured outfielders – Laureano, Mullins, or Colton Cowser – returns, or maybe it will take two of those guys returning before Hummel is sent packing again.