BALTIMORE—Mark Trumbo walked through the Orioles’ clubhouse on Thursday afternoon, a day after he was scratched from Norfolk’s starting lineup.
Trumbo, who had been in the final stage of his 20-day rehabilitation assignment, felt soreness in the right knee that had been surgically repaired last September.
He had the knee examined and was given a Platelet-rich plasma injection. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that he would be shut down for seven to 10 days, and remain with the Orioles for now.
“Let his knee rest, heal, and hopefully be on track after that,” Hyde said.
Trumbo tried to play during spring training, but late in March he and the Orioles decided that the knee wasn’t up to playing standards and he was put on the 60-day injured list.
He went on a rehab assignment on May 28, and in eight games at Double-A Bowie and Norfolk, he was 6-for-28 (.214) with a home run and two RBIs.
It has been nine months since Trumbo’s surgery, and the timing for Trumbo’s return was always going to be tricky. The Orioles had hoped to use the 33-year-old who is in the final year of a three-year, $37.5 million contract, as a trade chip, but with July 31 the only deadline this year for deals, a trade might not be realistic.
“That was a serious injury, and after surgery, it requires a lot of time to heal,” Hyde said. “There’s not a real timetable on it. He was progressing well, and is progressing well. He just felt some soreness yesterday, but he was running better. He was playing the field and swinging the bat pretty well.
“… I have to give Mark so much credit. To try and come back from something like this … to come back on the field and play, says a lot about him. He’s a high character guy.
“It’s great seeing him here. I wish he was in uniform, but it’s not the case right now.”
Hyde has spoken with Trumbo, who led the major leagues in home runs with 47 in 2016, his first season with the Orioles. In January 2017, he signed a three-year contract, and hit 23 home runs in 2017. Last season, Trumbo was limited to 90 games because of knee surgery and a quad injury.
“I think he’s frustrated,” Hyde said. “He would love to be here and help us. He likes to play. I think he likes the vibe on the club … He had a little setback. It’s a tough thing to come back from.”
Smith, Stewart updates: Dwight Smith Jr., who is on the seven-day concussion injury list, took batting practice on Thursday for the first time since he hit the left field wall in Texas on June 6. Smith is eligible to play on Friday.
“He’s checking a lot of the boxes in a positive way of coming back from a concussion,” Hyde said. “Possibly some time this weekend, but still has to pass a few more tests.”
Stewart, who sprained his right ankle while trying to catch a foul pop in Texas on June 5, is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Sunday.
“He’s getting a little bit better every day,” Hyde said. “He’s he going to hit the 10-day mark? I’m not really sure. Maybe not. If he goes much past that, he’s going to have to go on a rehab assignment.”
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Of course it’s sore....
THis is what we've come to now with the Orioles, getting complimented for normal activity. I don't get the constant stroking of these guys for doing what they are supposed to do. Hyde is praising Trumbo for trying to , you know, actually play baseball? Isn't that what he's earning $12.5 million to do? It has nothing to do with "high character", it's so he could maybe squeeze a few more years out of his career at millions per year. I am not criticizing him for that; it is his career so that's what he should be doing. I just don't get Hyde's praise for someone just doing their job.
I contrast that with Harbaugh sending Pierce off the field because he reported out of shape, then basically calling him out about it in the press conference after practice. Maybe he should have praised Pierce's high character for trying to practice when he was too fat. And that is the basic difference between the two organizations--the Ravens insist on high standards and the Orioles try to convince their fans that all of these washed up players are actually some sort of heroic figures.
Even by the standards of a rebuilding year, 2019 is a disaster so far. The Os better hope Mancini doesn't come down with any injury since he is the only one worth watching at this point.
I’m with you... 1,000%!
To be fair about your comparison, Harbaugh is a wee bit more established than Hyde is.
I wouldn’t compare Mark Trumbo’s attempting to come back from serious knee surgery with someone coming to football training camp out of shape. A better comparison would be Dennis Pitta, who made several comeback attempts from various hip injuries. Harbaugh praised Pitta many times for his character in trying to overcome his injuries. Trumbo should be given credit for trying to speed up his recovery and return so he could earn his salary. His type of surgery always presented long odds ( see Dustin Pedroia)
Best reply here Claypal. Well done. I detect a little anti Hyde bias which at this point is unnecessary.
marshmallow mentality, I think that is exactly what they were indicating, Hyde never has anything negative to say, get real, I get keeping it in house, still think if he threw some bats in the shower they might perform better, probably can't perform worse....go O's...
I just hope Trumbo starts playing, sooner rather than later and that the O's can trade him. He has no part in the future of this club.
The trade deadline this year is July 31-and no further. There can be no August waiver wire deals. Trumbo is being shut down for 7-10 days which means he can’t do anything till around the 20th. Even if everything goes smoothly-which is far from certain, he probably wouldn’t be back until July 15th at the earliest. It’s going to take a lot more than 2 weeks to convince another team he is ready. No need to rush his rehab-let him heal
I don't see any reason to rush Trumbo back, either for him or for the team. If he has to sit our the season, that's fine with me; his presence isn't going to change the team's record much, and his absence gives more opportunity to vet new guys at an overloaded position. Consult the doctors about what the best recovery path is for his present performance and his future health. In my opinion, he's not stealing any money; these are the breaks of the game built into contracts and negotiations. As for character, I've never seen or heard anything to question Trumbo's integrity; he seems like an honest, hardworking guy doing the best he can with the talent he has. It's a shame that people have to be reminded of the obvious.
You said it much better than I ever did. Thank you
The man is 33 years old and recovering from a very serious knee injury.
I would be more optimistic about his value to this team if he were 23 and recovering from this injury.