What Should Baltimore Orioles Expect From Matt Wieters?
By Nate Wardle
I’ll admit, I am kind of at a loss for what to write about regarding the Orioles.
Some topics that came to mind were the fact that maybe this team is only average, but fellow writer Randy Buchman already covered that here.
Then I thought about again expressing the reasoning that Nolan Reimold should be promoted, but I’ve covered that numerous times as well.
The thought of Adam Jones missing a second consecutive day is topic-worthy, but it is a mild ankle sprain and he tried to talk himself into the game today. I anticipate Jones being back in CF on Monday in Houston.
That led me to consider the need for David Lough on the team, someone I recently advocated for giving more playing time too.
But, in the spirit of optimism, which is tough to find in heavy doses right now when it comes to the Birds, I want to look ahead to the return of Matt Wieters.
Wieters is eligible to come off the disabled list on June 4, and all signs point to him coming off on June 5 and playing for the Orioles that evening.
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At this point, Matt is catching every other day, and that likely will continue with the Orioles for at least the first few weeks. That means Caleb Joseph will likely still see several starts a week, and Wieters may be able to DH. However, that leaves the concern that if Joseph has to come out of the game, the Orioles could lose their DH.
With the current roster crunch, I don’t see how Steve Clevenger could stay with the team. While he was the only player hitting on Saturday, and his bat is certainly worth keeping, there just isn’t any room to keep him.
But, back to Wieters. Last year, when Matt got hurt he was hitting .308 with 5 HRs, 19 RBIs, 5 2B, and 13 runs scored. Many people like to give Nelson Cruz credit for the Orioles’ offense during April 2014, but Wieters was carrying a big stick.
Wieters also has a reputation of being one of the best behind the plate as well. Both in throwing out runners and also calling a game, Wieters is considered by many to be one of the best.
The Orioles have been lucky to have someone as skilled as Caleb Joseph replace Wieters while he was out. And I will admit, even at times Joseph has shown he may have more ability than Wieters. But those times are often brief stints. Joseph can’t maintain the same success over a season that Matt Wieters can, especially not as a hitter.
If Wieters can come back fully healthy and contribute, it will be a big help to this team that is struggling for offense. It might even take some pressure off guys like Adam Jones and Jimmy Paredes, who started so hot but have since reverted back to their typical ‘form,’ and who both have been swinging at a lot of pitches outside the strike zone.
Maybe the return of Matt Wieters will be just what this team needs to get it over the .500 hump.