Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.
Question: How does the number of man-games lost to injury for the Orioles this year compare with other teams in the majors? Am I right in thinking the Orioles were extremely healthy in 2023 and had very few man-games lost to injury? From: Oren Hirsch
Answer: Oren, according to Spotrac, as of Thursday, the Orioles lost 1,174 games because of injury, the ninth fewest in baseball. I think it’s the importance of the players they’ve lost that stand out.
Question: I love the fact that the team has become an analytics-focused group. However, have we lost the “gut feel” in decisions made in the dugout? From: Gary Madsen, Timonium
Answer: Gary, while manager Brandon Hyde is heavily reliant on analytics, as most managers are, he does use his judgment when it comes to decisions on when to change pitchers and use pinch-hitters.