Austin Hays was supposed to man center field for the Orioles this season. But a fastball to the ribs derailed that plan for the time being. As is frequently the case in sports, this was a next man up type of situation. The next man up in this case was Cedric Mullins.
After yesterday’s loss to the Mets, Mullins holds a batting line of .266/.338/.328. Not ground-breaking but steady, and a marked improvement over the past couple of years. Also, he laid down his seventh bunt single of the season a couple days ago against the Mets.