Orioles' Anthony Santander: Has manager's trust at first
Rotowire
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Friday that he is "very comfortable" with using Santander at first base, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.
Santander has primarily been an outfielder throughout his career, but he's received a look at first base during spring training. With Ryan Mountcastle around, Santander would likely need an injury to get a lot of time in the infield. The 28-year-old has gone just 2-for-17 across eight Grapefruit League games, but he was excellent for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic, hitting .353 over five contests. Regardless of where he plays, he should hit in the heart of the O's batting order.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Makes start at first base
Rotowire
Santander started at first base for the Orioles on Monday versus the Phillies in Grapefruit League play, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Santander has not played first base since getting nine starts there at High-A Lynchburg back in 2016. The O's wanted him to get some action there this spring, though, in anticipation of being an option at the position on days Ryan Mountcastle is off or in the designated hitter spot. Santander is coming off a 2022 campaign which saw him club a career-high 33 home runs.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Returning to action Wednesday
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Santander (knee) said his knee is fine and that he'll be in the lineup for Wednesday's spring game against the Blue Jays, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Santander will end up missing just one day of spring action after he was hit by a pitch Monday and suffered a left knee bruise. The 28-year-old split his time between the corner outfield spots and designated hitter over the past few years, but he's also getting in some reps at first base during spring training.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: X-rays return negative
Rotowire
Santander was diagnosed with a bruised left knee Tuesday after X-rays came back negative, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The 28-year-old exited Monday's Grapefruit League game after being hit by a pitch in the left knee, but it appears he's only dealing with a minor injury. Santander should be considered day-to-day and could rejoin the lineup as early as Wednesday.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Diagnosed with knee contusion
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Santander is day-to-day with a left knee contusion, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.
Connolly was plunked in the knee with a pitch and exited with a trainer on Monday. The power-hitting outfielder will likely miss a game or two of Grapefruit League action, but it doesn't sound like this will be something that carries into the regular season.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Leaves game after HBP
Rotowire
Santander left Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays after being hit by a pitch in the left knee, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Santander limped off the field after being hit, and looked to be in pain as he exited the game with a trainer. The outfielder will likely be examined to determine the severity of the injury, and there should be an update on his status before Tuesday.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Could get look at first base
Rotowire
Santander is expected to see some time at first base late in spring training, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Santander will play for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic, but he's expected to be back to get some reps at first before the season begins. The 28-year-old has exclusively worked as an outfielder and designated hitter in his career, and he's projected to be the Orioles' top right fielder this year, while Ryan Mountcastle will get the bulk of the work at first. Santander is just one of many options to cover for when Mountcastle needs a rest -- Terrin Vavra, Franchy Cordero and James McCann could also be options.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Gets $7.4 million from Baltimore
Rotowire
Santander signed a one-year, $7.4 million contract with the Orioles on Friday to avoid arbitration, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.
Santander slugged a career-high 33 home runs for the Orioles in 2022, producing a .773 OPS along the way. It was also the first time he's managed to stay healthy for a full season (not counting 2020), so the 28-year-old doesn't seem like a great bet to avoid the injured list again in 2023. He'll provide power for fantasy managers when on the field, though.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Takes seat Saturday
Rotowire
Santander isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Santander is getting a rare day off after he went 0-for-11 with a walk and four strikeouts over the last three games. Adley Rutschman will serve as the designated hitter while Robinson Chirinos starts behind the dish.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Launches two homers in loss
Rotowire
Santander went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 13-9 loss to the Red Sox.
Santander doubled and scored in the first inning before launching a solo homer in the top of the third frame and a two-run shot in the following inning. The homers raised his season total to 33 and he has now gone deep six times in his last four contests. Over that stretch, he has also added nine RBI and scored seven runs while batting .400. On the season, Santander is now batting .250 with 33 home runs, 88 RBI and 76 runs scored over 552 at-bats in 145 games.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Surpasses 30 homers
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Santander went 2-for-6 with two home runs and three RBI against Boston in a 14-8 win Monday.
Santander's sixth-inning solo shot gave Baltimore a 9-5 lead, and his two-run homer in the following frame extended the margin to 13-5. It was the second time in the past three games that the switch-hitting outfielder has gone deep twice, and Santander now has a career-high 31 long balls and 85 RBI on the campaign. He's hit eight home runs in 23 games during September.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Hits two bombs
Rotowire
Santander went 3-for-5 with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's loss to the Astros.
Santander's first home run of the night came on a solo shot in the fifth inning to even the score at 6-6. He followed that up with a two-run homer in the eighth to give the Orioles a two-run lead. The 27-year-old outfielder was hitless in his last 11 at-bats coming in and is still hitting just .195 in the month of September with six home runs, nine RBI and 11 runs scored.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Takes seat Wednesday
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Santander isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Santander is getting a rare day off after he went 1-for-10 with two walks and two strikeouts over the last three games. Kyle Stowers will take over in right field and bat seventh.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Belts pair of homers in twin bill
Rotowire
Santander went 2-for-9 with a pair of solo home runs while starting in both ends of the Orioles' doubleheader losses to the Blue Jays on Monday.
He produced both of the long balls in the Orioles' 7-3 loss in Game 1, giving him four home runs over his last five games. Santander is now up to a team-leading 27 home runs on the season, a top-10 mark among American Leaguers.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Knocks 25th homer
Rotowire
Santander went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Athletics.
Santander joined the 25-homer club with his fourth-inning blast. The outfielder is enjoying a career year in the counting stats -- he's added personal bests in RBI (75) and runs scored (64) through a career-high 124 games played. He's mashed five homers in his last 14 contests, though he's now gone eight games since his last multi-hit effort. For the season, the 27-year-old switch hitter is slashing .255/.335/.461 through 528 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Blasts 24th home run
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Santander went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Guardians.
The 27-year-old left the yard off Shane Bieber with one out in the first inning, the Orioles' second home run of the frame. Santander has now hit three home runs and recorded six RBI in his last seven games. The outfielder is turning in career highs in OBP (.335), home runs (24) and RBI (74) in 2022.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Swats homer Saturday
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Santander went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Astros.
Santander's third-inning blast off Jose Urquidy was all the Orioles needed for the win. Over his last eight games, Santander has gone 10-for-33 (.303) with three homers, 11 RBI and five runs scored. The outfielder's steady play has kept him in the lineup regularly even with prospect Kyle Stowers in the major-league mix. Santander is slashing .258/.336/.458 with 23 long balls, 73 RBI, 59 runs scored and 20 doubles through 118 contests this year.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Drives in four runs
Rotowire
Santander went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, four RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 15-10 win over Boston.
Santander snapped a nine-game homerless drought with a two-run shot in the third inning. He later added a two-run double during Baltimore's five-run fifth. The 27-year-old had just two hits over his previous six games but he's now hitting .269 with 10 RBI and eight extra-base hits this month. Santander is slashing .259/.338/.456 with a career-high 21 home runs and 66 RBI on the year.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Threee hits, two runs in win
Rotowire
Santander went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Friday's 10-3 win over the Rays.
Santander continues to swing a hot bat -- this was his third multi-hit effort in his last four contests. The outfielder is batting .317 (13-for-41) in August, lifting his season slash line up to .263/.342/.463 through 442 plate appearances. He's added 20 home runs, 60 RBI, 53 runs scored and 18 doubles. Santander is on pace for a career year in most of the counting stats as he continues to see a near-everyday role in the heart of the lineup.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Reaches 20-homer mark
Rotowire
Santander went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 7-4 win over the Blue Jays.
Santander saw a 16-game hitting streak end Sunday, but he didn't let it immediately turn into a slump. The outfielder hit the second of the Orioles' four homers in Monday's win, giving him 20 on the year, the second time he's reached that milestone in his career. It's been a solid bounce-back year for the 27-year-old, who is slashing .259/.338/.462 with 60 RBI, 50 runs scored and 17 doubles through 101 contests. He is two hits away from securing his first 100-hit season, and his next homer will set a new career high.
