Orioles shortstop Freddy Galvis exits with right quadriceps injury in 12-4 loss to Blue Jays
Before the Toronto Blue Jays provided the insult, the Orioles suffered an injury.
Orioles shortstop Freddy Galvis limped off the field in the second inning of Saturday’s 12-4 loss after experiencing what the team called right quadriceps discomfort on a bunt single. Galvis left the ballpark to undergo an MRI, one the Orioles were still awaiting results of immediately after the game. Manager Brandon Hyde said he was “definitely concerned.”
“It’s pretty upsetting,” rookie left-hander Keegan Akin said. “Very good defender, and veteran guy, you don’t want to see him go down like that, so hopefully, he’s all right.”
After signing a one-year deal with Baltimore this offseason, Galvis, 31 has provided a veteran presence in the clubhouse and a consistent one on the infield. Entering Saturday, Galvis had manned shortstop for about 88% of the Orioles’ defensive innings, starting all but six games.
As music blared from the tent that serves as the visiting clubhouse at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field after the Orioles ended a 20-game road losing streak with a 6-5 comeback win in 10 innings Friday night, Hyde credited “DJ Galvis” for the song selections.
“And rightfully so,” he added.
Galvis missed time earlier this year with a left groin strain. The bunt single raised his batting line to .249/.306/.414.
With that tent being separate from the Orioles’ dugout at the home of Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, Galvis was carted away from the field after spending the bottom of the second in the dugout.
Stevie Wilkerson pinch-ran for Galvis, taking over at second base with Pat Valaika moving to shortstop. Should Galvis require an injured list stint — a strong possibility with Hyde saying the Orioles planned to make a roster move to add an infielder for Sunday’s series finale — the likeliest replacement is Ramón Urías, who was not in Triple-A Norfolk’s lineup Saturday, a possible sign of the Orioles’ need for him. Other infielders on the Orioles’ 40-man roster include Jahmai Jones and Domingo Leyba, though neither plays shortstop. Both were originally set to start for the Tides on Saturday until Leyba was scratched.
Galvis’ injury also hampers the likelihood the Orioles (24-53) move the veteran at next month’s trade deadline. By virtue of playing fairly well on an expiring contract, Galvis figured to be one of Baltimore’s most logical trade chips.
———
The Orioles haven’t won consecutive road games since the final day of April and the first of May. At least early, Akin appeared as if he would give them a chance to.
He retired eight of the first nine Blue Jays, but after Toronto’s lineup turned over, Akin allowed four consecutive extra-base hits with two outs in the third, including back-to-back home runs from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — his major league-leading 26th of the season — and Teoscar Hernández that raised his third-inning ERA to 20.57.
“I thought he threw the ball really good the first couple innings,” Hyde said. “He’s just gotta be able to maintain that command throughout his outing.”
Including his work in relief, Akin has limited opposing batters to a .666 OPS the first time he faces them; that figure jumps to 1.016 in their successive looks at him.
“I feel like I’m staying in one spot too much,” Akin said. “Got to mix it up, back and forth, up and down. I just made a couple bad pitches and paid for it today. Just got to get better and get through that third inning. It seems to be a common theme lately.”
Akin exited with two runners aboard in the fifth, yielding to right-hander Konner Wade. Making his major league debut, Wade allowed both Akins’ runners and two of his own to score, with Randal Grichuk hitting his 20th career home run against Baltimore. The 29-year-old gave up another four runs in the sixth as Toronto built a 12-0 lead, with all of those runs coming with two outs.
Another major league debut followed, with left-hander Alexander Wells, the Orioles’ No. 20 prospect according to Baseball America, taking over after Baltimore scored four times in the seventh. Despite some trouble in the seventh, Wells opened his career with two scoreless innings.
The game marked the second this year in which two Orioles made their major league debuts, joining outfielder Ryan McKenna and Rule 5 pitcher Mac Sceroler’s memorable April 5. On Saturday, Sceroler, who was designated for assignment Tuesday, cleared waivers and was returned to his original organization, the Cincinnati Reds.
———
Since Monday, the Orioles have been outscored 53-13. Eight of the Orioles’ runs came in two innings.
A four-run rally in Friday’s eighth inning ultimately led to the streak-snapping victory. An outburst in the seventh Saturday prevented what would’ve been their third shutout in four days. Toronto left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu needed only 62 pitches through six shutout innings, but the Orioles didn’t let him get through the seventh. After managing only two hits against Ryu through six, they recorded five in the seventh, with Pedro Severino and Cedric Mullins each driving in two.
