Tate to IL, McKenna back up; More moves coming

[sportsfan8703]

Hays, Santander, and Diaz are always getting hurt, so McKenna will get plenty of chances to be more than a 5th OF. Especially if we trade Mancini, and DH is opened up. I think we’ll see McKenna get 300-400 ABs this year. 

[Explosivo]

Here’s hoping he puts it together. I think he’s a lot like a Pat Valaika. He can do this, just needs confidence and lots of PT to get his feet wet. He’s clearly athletic enough but his bat and his defense have to come around. We weren’t going to really compete this year anyway so might as well have him get some reps and possibly be our 4th outfielder one day.

[bpilktree]

7 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Hays, Santander, and Diaz are always getting hurt, so McKenna will get plenty of chances to be more than a 5th OF. Especially if we trade Mancini, and DH is opened up. I think we’ll see McKenna get 300-400 ABs this year. 

I don’t see him getting 300-400 at bats in Baltimore.  We are a 5th through the season and he has 16 so far.  Hays or Santander has been out pretty much all year and he still is getting basically no at bats.  He is the 4th/5th outfielder right now even with Santander hurt.  I think he has better chance getting more at bats in AAA then in the majors.  I would really like a veteran outfielder on league minimum to be in his spot and let him get all the at bats at AAA then up here getting just a couple up here.

[Frobby]

51 minutes ago, Explosivo said:

Here’s hoping he puts it together. I think he’s a lot like a Pat Valaika. He can do this, just needs confidence and lots of PT to get his feet wet. He’s clearly athletic enough but his bat and his defense have to come around.

What’s wrong with his defense?  He did make an error in RF, but he’s generally considered a very good defender.   

[Explosivo]

He looks lost out there to me. Just in this game. He had no idea how to play that ball off the wall. He looks very lost.

[NCRaven]

Outside of a half season in Frederick, McKenna really hasn’t done much with the bat.  I’m not expecting a major change.

[foxfield]

3 hours ago, Ruzious said:

Is McKenna likely going to have a Mullins-like development?  No.  But I'd rather give him an extended look than Stewart, because Stewart is a DH playing RF and consistently inconsistent at the plate.  And we know McKenna is a good defensive OFer with some chance to develop into a good 4th OFer.  

I think this post touches a key point.  I think McKenna obviously needs to take advantage of his opportunity, but he can also prove value by showing versatility.  Stewart is likely the odd man out IMHO, but I am truly enjoying each of the OF'ers get their chances.  Depth is good.  Deep depth is better.

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Hays, Santander, and Diaz are always getting hurt, so McKenna will get plenty of chances to be more than a 5th OF. Especially if we trade Mancini, and DH is opened up. I think we’ll see McKenna get 300-400 ABs this year. 

I think someone from the OF DH 1b group is going to get moved.  I dont know if that happens as soon as we might think.  But it further accentuates a desire to have some versatility.  I do assume that the bats will come around and I hope we get to see these guys push each other to be better.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, NCRaven said:

Outside of a half season in Frederick, McKenna really hasn’t done much with the bat.  I’m not expecting a major change.

And it’s going to be a bad sign if McKenna gets 300+ at bats. Not that the Orioles are going to get into the playoffs, but having to play McKenna that much might contribute towards another 100 loss season. 

 

[sportsfan8703]

7 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

And it’s going to be a bad sign if McKenna gets 300+ at bats. Not that the Orioles are going to get into the playoffs, but having to play McKenna that much might contribute towards another 100 loss season. 

 

Why is it a bad sign if McKenna gets 300+ ABs?  He’s an organizational top 10 prospect. You can’t just bubble wrap the player and that ranking. He’s 24. 
 

We can’t cling to this idea that these guys all go to AAA and have an .800 OPS or a 3.99 ERA. We need these guys at the MLB level. They’re all between the ages of 24-26. It’s time to get some playing time over stop gaps. We’re 3 years into a massive rebuild. We’ve reached the point where the “prospects” have arrived. It’s time to take the training wheels off and send them out there. 
 

Until Santander comes back, McKenna should be playing against RHP, and filling in for DJ Stewart if he can’t go. Diaz is hurt too. 
 

Mckenna is next man up, and it’s his time. 

[Frobby]

48 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Why is it a bad sign if McKenna gets 300+ ABs?  He’s an organizational top 10 prospect. You can’t just bubble wrap the player and that ranking. He’s 24. 
 

We can’t cling to this idea that these guys all go to AAA and have an .800 OPS or a 3.99 ERA. We need these guys at the MLB level. They’re all between the ages of 24-26. It’s time to get some playing time over stop gaps. We’re 3 years into a massive rebuild. We’ve reached the point where the “prospects” have arrived. It’s time to take the training wheels off and send them out there. 
 

Until Santander comes back, McKenna should be playing against RHP, and filling in for DJ Stewart if he can’t go. Diaz is hurt too. 
 

Mckenna is next man up, and it’s his time. 

It will be a bad sign because it will mean that a lot of guys ahead of him are injured or underperforming.  

[NCRaven]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

It will be a bad sign because it will mean that a lot of guys ahead of him are injured or underperforming.  

Exactly.  McKenna has not been effective at the plate since half a season in A ball in 2018.  If we're playing him, it means at least two of Santander, Stewart, Mountcastle, Hays, or Mullins have been injured and/or Diaz has not proven worthy of promotion.  Those would all be bad.  If Santander and Stewart were not injured now, McKenna would not be playing.  

Tonight is a good example.  No DH in the NL, so Mountcastle, Mullins, and Hays are in the outfield and Mancini at 1B.  McKenna will never play over any of those hitters under normal circumstances.  In 2018, I was excited for McKenna, now he's a defensive replacement or pinch runner if everyone else is healthy.

[Jagwar]

I'm ready for other options than Franco and Ruiz in the infield. They both suck and I'm tired of watching them flail away at the plate. 

[Frobby]

12 hours ago, NCRaven said:

Exactly.  McKenna has not been effective at the plate since half a season in A ball in 2018.  If we're playing him, it means at least two of Santander, Stewart, Mountcastle, Hays, or Mullins have been injured and/or Diaz has not proven worthy of promotion.  Those would all be bad.  If Santander and Stewart were not injured now, McKenna would not be playing.  

Tonight is a good example.  No DH in the NL, so Mountcastle, Mullins, and Hays are in the outfield and Mancini at 1B.  McKenna will never play over any of those hitters under normal circumstances.  In 2018, I was excited for McKenna, now he's a defensive replacement or pinch runner if everyone else is healthy.

I’m not quite as down on McKenna as you.   I’m just saying the other guys you named, plus Mountcastle and Stewart, have earned a long look before McKenna gets any serious shot at extended playing time, so if McKenna gets 300 PA, it means some bad things have happened with these other players.  

[sportsfan8703]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

I’m not quite as down on McKenna as you.   I’m just saying the other guys you named, plus Mountcastle and Stewart, have earned a long look before McKenna gets any serious shot at extended playing time, so if McKenna gets 300 PA, it means some bad things have happened with these other players.  

Maybe. Or it means we trade away Mancini. Then with everyone healthy we’re looking at,

CF - Mullins

LF - Hays

RF - Santander

DH - Stewart

1B - Mountcastle

Mckenna would play against LHP and would rotate in for starts in the OF the give people rest. One ten day IL trip and he’s a regular. 

[Yossarian]

McKenna just looks way overmatched at the plate.  Maybe that will change with more at-bats and more experience with big league pitching, but right now he looks out of his element.