Even in what’s amounted to nearly half the season with Renato Núñez as the Orioles’ everyday third baseman in the wake of the Manny Machado trade, the true test of the 24-year-old infielder’s future with the club doesn’t hinge just on his performance.
By that mark, he’s presented himself well. A three-hit game Monday at Fenway Park raised his batting line to .275/.333/.440 in Orioles colors, and his home run in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader was his seventh in 55 games with the team.
But what the Orioles’ decision-makers will be heartened most by entering this fall is the fact that Núñez has shown the ability to get better as the opportunities arrive.