BALTIMORE—Utility player Blaze Alexander has been placed on the 10-day injured list with low back discomfort. He’s been replaced on the roster by another utility player, Jeremiah Jackson, who’s been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.
Manager Craig Albernaz said that shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who has a sore left knee, wouldn’t play on Wednesday and was day-to-day. Henderson fouled a ball off his knee in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s 9-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Alexander injured his back fielding a bunt from Cleveland’s Patrick Bailey in the seventh inning.
He missed six weeks after suffering a fractured left hand when he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City’s Lucas Erceg on July 12th. Alexander is hitting .303 with a .772 OPS, 4 home runs and 31 RBIs in 93 games. He’s started at second base, shortstop, third base, all three outfield positions and designated hitter.
Jackson was hitting .226 with 7 home runs and 39 RBIs in 89 games before he was optioned to Norfolk for the second time this season on August 19th. He was hitless in his last 25 at-bats. His last hit came on July 20th.
He was hitting .209 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs in 16 games with the Tides.
Narváez plays second
After Alexander and Henderson left the game on Tuesday night, Carlos Narváez played second base in the ninth inning. It was the first time in his professional career that Narváez played second.
Albernaz asked Narváez if he was able to play second, and the backup catcher told him he was since the manager has watched him take grounders at second before games.
“Very often, I take grounders in practice, just to keep moving, nothing special,” Narváez said. “A situation like yesterday, you never know. Always ready to help the team in any way. Of course, I’m not an infielder, but that’s something that I do a lot, taking grounders. The positioning and stuff, it’s fine … At this time of the year, all we care about is winning. First time playing second base, it was a lot of fun.”
Narváez didn’t get any chances at second.
“I was hoping to get a ground ball, to be honest,” Narváez said. “The game looks very different from there. Every swing, I thought was a grounder to second base
Infield coach Miguel Cairo instructed Narváez during the ninth.
“I was looking at Cairo every pitch. He was trying to move me side-to-side,” Narváez said. “He told me earlier before I came in: ‘Hey, stay with me.’
Notes: Right-hander Albert Suárez cleared waivers for the fifth time this season and declared for free agency instead of accepting an assignment to Norfolk. … Enrique Bradfield Jr., Jud Fabian and Sam Huff each drove in two runs as Triple-A Norfolk defeated Memphis, 8-4.
Orioles-Guardians lineups
Orioles
Dylan Beavers-LF
Pete Alonso-1B
Coby Mayo-DH
Jackson Holliday-SS
Rece Hinds-CF
Jeremiah Jackson-2B
Leody Taveras-RF
Carlos Narváez-C
Shane Baz-RHP
Guardians
Steven Kwan-CF
Chase DeLauter-RF
José Ramírez-3B
Jo Adell-LF
Travis Bazzana-DH
Nathaniel Lowe-1B
Angel Genoa-2B
Patrick Bailey-C
Brayan Rocchio-SS
Foster Griffin-LHP
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