Kjerstad, De León to be added to Orioles’ roster

DENVER—As the rosters expand to 28 players, the Orioles are calling up outfielder/designated hitter Heston Kjerstad and left-handed reliever Luis De León from Triple-A Norfolk.

Kjerstad, the overall No. 2 choice in the 2020 draft, had a slow start to the season after missing the first six weeks with a strained right hamstring. He hit .289 with a .799 OPS, 11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 79 games at Norfolk.

In 106 games over the past three seasons with the Orioles, Kjerstad is hitting .218 with a .649 OPS.

De León, the Orioles No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will need to be added to the 40-man roster. He was 6-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 26 games and 22 starts for Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake. He struck out 121 and walked 53 in 99 innings.

The Orioles recently tried him as a reliever, and he’s had three outings in the bullpen.

Left-hander Cade Povich, who allowed a run on four hits in five innings on Monday night, has been optioned to Norfolk. The Baltimore Sun was first with the news, which was confirmed by an industry source.

Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. also could be activated for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies, and the Orioles will need to make room for him.

News of the Kjerstad and De León additions was first reported by The Baltimore Banner and confirmed by an industry source.

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