Colton Cowser’s first stint in the majors came to an end Monday, with the Orioles optioning their No. 2 prospect back to Triple-A Norfolk and activating Aaron Hicks from the injured list.
The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cowser appeared in 26 games after his early July promotion, with much of his time coming with Hicks and Cedric Mullins, Baltimore’s primary center fielders, on the IL. But the 23-year-old was unable to capitalize on the playing time, going 7-for-61 (.115) with two doubles, 13 walks and 22 strikeouts. Before Baltimore’s weekend series in Seattle, Cowser said he hoped to “stop thinking so damn much” as he tried to settle into the big leagues.
“Colton’s going to be a really good major league player,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Got off to a pretty good start, and then he just kind of got caught in between a little bit in his at-bats. I just want him to go down there and free his mind up. Kind of reset a little bit, relax and breathe and go take some at-bats, and don’t worry about trying to produce up here. And maybe we’ll see him soon.
“Once you start getting in between, all of a sudden now you’re kind of looking for certain pitches and just not able to relax in the batter’s box. I just thought he was getting frozen up a little bit in his at-bats the last couple weeks. So you go down there, clear your mind, clear your head and go get some at-bats and hopefully come back.”
After being released by the New York Yankees, Hicks got off to a strong start with the Orioles, serving as a fill-in for Mullins after the 2021 All-Star’s first right groin strain. Hicks hit .307 with a .983 OPS in his first 20 games with the organization. But he slumped soon after Mullins’ return, batting .203/.300/.304 in his final 22 games before going on the IL himself with a left hamstring strain.
The Orioles will be cautious with Mullins, who has missed 44 games across two IL stints for the groin strain. Hicks, a switch-hitter, will continue to see time in center, the corner spots and possibly designated hitter. He went 1-for-8 in two rehabilitation games with Norfolk, where Cowser batted .330 with a .996 OPS this year to earn his promotion.
It’s certainly not rare for well-regarded prospects to struggle in their first major-league go. Neither Adley Rutschman nor Gunnar Henderson required a return to the minors, but both endured slow stretches as they began their paths to stardom with Baltimore, which Henderson reminded Cowser of while the pair played video games together recently. The Orioles sent top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez back to Triple-A after 10 up-and-down starts to open his career, but he enters Monday’s matchup with the San Diego Padres with a 3.45 ERA in five starts since being called back up.
“It’s not always a terrible thing to have a guy come up here and experience what major league pitching’s like and what big league life is like,” Hyde said. “Understand how to go through some adjustments when you go back down to Triple-A. We saw Grayson do that earlier this year. He came back a different guy.”
Cowser, too, is positioned to rejoin the Orioles before the end of the season, even if the contending team determined it couldn’t afford to let him work through his struggles while in the majors. Baltimore will call up at least one position player when rosters expand Sept. 1, and Cowser’s speed and ability to play all three outfield spots could be of value as the Orioles seek their first playoff berth since 2016.
“I think for him it’s about rebuilding that confidence again,” Hicks said. “I feel like when he got up here, he was kind of being more passive, whereas I want him to be more aggressive. He was walking, he was having great at-bats, but at the big league level, it just comes down to being aggressive. I just think for him, it just seemed like he was starting to lose his confidence a little bit, and once you lose that as a young player in the big leagues, it’s kind of tough to regain it back.”
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