The Baltimore Orioles activated outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder Jordan Westburg from the injured list on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the team optioned struggling outfielder Heston Kjerstad back to Triple-A Norfolk and released infielder Emmanuel Rivera.
Mullins and Westburg’s return from injury continues to add to the Orioles’ list of reinforcements to their stagnant lineup. Meanwhile, Kjerstad’s demotion follows a disappointing 2025 campaign for the highly-touted prospect.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/HbPJlyZyMP
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 10, 2025
Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg Return for Orioles
Both players come back at a time when the team is looking to its offense to get itself back to .500. The team currently ranks 22nd in batting average and 26th in on-base percentage. There are some bright spots, however, with the Orioles around the top half in home runs and slugging average.
Mullins, albeit not spectacular, is the team’s best base stealer and a source of power in the lineup. The 30-year-old veteran outfielder hit 10 home runs in 50 games this season while swiping eight bags, leading the team in both categories. His .324 OBP and .448 slugging is the best since his 2021 All-Star season.
Westburg is one of the Orioles’ younger stars, coming off an All-Star season in 2024. He had a slow start to the 2025 campaign, hitting a paltry .217/.265/.657 with four home runs and only drawing five walks. He did play very well on his rehab assignment, hitting .393/.452/1.202 with two home runs over eight games.
That’s not fair, these guys are big leaguers!
Rehabbing @Orioles Jordan Westburg and Gary Sanchez go back-to-back for the @NorfolkTides during their rehab assignments. pic.twitter.com/HmQZv1CiJF
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 5, 2025
Kjerstad’s Underwhelming Performance
The 26-year-old outfielder’s 2025 season has been abysmal, to say the least. In 54 games, Kjerstad hit .192/.240/.566 with only four home runs and drawing only six walks to 45 strikeouts. In fact, he walked at a far lower clip than he did in 2024, walking 10 times in 39 games last year.
The outfielder’s struggles could be attributed to a decrease in bat speed, declining from 73 mph in 2023 to 69 mph in 2025. His chase rate is one of the worst in the league, while his whiff rate is in the bottom quarter of the league. In most measured metrics, Kjerstad ranked in the bottom half from barrels to exit velocity. He’ll have enough time to figure out his swing in Norfolk.
Main Photo Credit: © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
