The Cuban outfielder Luis Robert Jr. returned to the injured list this Sunday, when the Baltimore Orioles placed him on the 10-day list due to left hamstring discomfort, just a week after his arrival to the team, according to the MLB site.
The move was retroactive to Saturday, as the 29-year-old player had not appeared in a game since Friday. Baltimore had claimed him on waivers from the Mets on August 31, making his stint with the team one of the shortest and most tumultuous of the season.
In the three games he played with the Orioles, Robert recorded two hits in 11 at-bats for an average of .182, with one double, one home run, and three runs batted in.
This is the second time in the 2026 season that the Cuban has landed on the injured list.
The first injury occurred between April 27 and July 20, when a lumbar disc herniation kept him off the field for nearly three months with the Mets.
The affected area now—the left hamstring tendon—is the same one that sidelined him back in August 2025, when he was playing for the Chicago White Sox and suffered a grade two injury in that area, raising further concerns about his durability.
The moment couldn't be more delicate from a contractual standpoint.
Baltimore has a team option of 20 million dollars for 2027, with a buyout clause of two million. If Robert does not return before September 27 —the last day of the regular season— it is possible he may never wear the Orioles uniform again.
The team's situation isn't helpful either: Baltimore arrived this Sunday with a record of 69-74 and a streak of five consecutive losses, severely diminishing their chances for the postseason.
As a corresponding move, the Orioles called up right-handed pitcher Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk. On the same day, the team also added outfielder Rece Hinds from the same affiliate and designated pitcher Albert Suárez for assignment.
Hinds, 26 years old, could take Robert's place in left field against left-handed pitchers. In 19 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season, the outfielder batted .268 with six doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, and an OPS of .810.
"It has been quite crazy," Hinds admitted. "With the Marlins, I wasn't playing much. Coming here and being able to play every day in Norfolk was good for getting back into the rhythm."
The performance of Robert Jr. with the Mets prior to the waivers had shown glimpses of his best version — he batted .267 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in August — but the new setback raises questions again about whether Baltimore will choose to exercise the option for 2027 or prefer to pay the two million in buyout.
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