The Baltimore Orioles on Thursday put utilityman Blaze Alexander on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 13, with a left hand fracture, and the team recalled infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand from Triple-A Norfolk to fill Alexander's roster spot.
Alexander suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand after being struck by a 95.5 mph four-seam fastball from Lucas Erceg in the seventh inning of Baltimore's 8-2 win over Kansas City on Sunday. Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed the diagnosis, and Alexander was scheduled to meet with doctors during the All-Star break to determine severity and a potential recovery timeline.
The fact that Alexander is only landing on the 10-day IL could be considered a good sign; that the Orioles think he could return sooner than later. A non-displaced fracture isn't as severe as other types of fractures and means the bones in the hand are still aligned as they should be, even with a fracture in the hand.
Encarnacion-Strand, in his fourth pro season, steps into a roster that needs depth in the infield, giving the Orioles a right-handed bat with Triple-A experience as they start to navigate the second half of the year. He has hit 17 home runs with an .863 on-base percentage in 61 games with Norfolk.
He played the last three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, appearing in 128 games, including 18 games at third base and 91 at first. With Norfolk this year, Encarnacion-Strand has started 43 games at third and nine at first.
With Pete Alonso holding down first with Coby Mayo the primary alternate there, it's likely Encarnacion-Strand could see time primarily at third, essentially filling the role of Alexander, also a righty, in the field at the plate.
The Orioles are on the road at Houston to begin a three-game series on Friday.