DETROIT – Heston Kjerstad is back with the Orioles, finally free of concussion symptoms and happy with his swing and health.
Today he’s batting fourth as a DH, so he’s back in a prominent position in the game. He’s looking to help an offense that has only managed 15 runs in five games on the road. In the last nine games, in which Baltimore has gone 3-6, batters have averaged 2.1 runs per game, with a team OPS of .583.
Kjerstad is ready to provide a boost with his racket.
“Oh, 100 percent. We all want to give that push. Maybe I can do it. We have a great lineup here. In baseball, you want to play well and the offense needs to get rolling a little bit better. One is enough. If one goes, the rest of the offense goes with him, so we’re going to really get rolling here,” he said.
After suffering a blow to the helmet on July 12, Kjerstad was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. He returned eight days later, but symptoms persisted.
“I kept having symptoms and the team said, ‘We need to get this checked out so you can get better.’ So I went to a specialist and there I found out that some things were wrong. I was able to spend a couple of weeks there and do some physical therapy and got back to full health. Feeling good, feeling healthy. Ready to help the team in this final push.”
“I still have a slight headache. The main problem was my balance and a few things like that were still not right,” he said.
Kjerstad said he had to work on his balance and eye movements, but “they got it fixed.”
Additional concerns were the loss of time and the uncertainty regarding the symptoms of the concussion.
“It definitely wasn’t fun,” Kjerstad said. “You always want to be healthy, too. I hate missing games. I just want to play baseball, so it’s not fun just standing on the sidelines. But that’s part of the career path and you just have to stay positive and get through it.”
But Kjerstad remained confident that he would do it again this season.
“Everyone I worked with said, ‘You’ll be back in a couple of weeks,’ so I was really confident I would be back soon,” he explained.
In the last four games at Double-A Bowie, he has hit 4 for 13, one double and three RBIs. Last night, he used a car service to get to Detroit from Erie, Pennsylvania, where Bowie was playing. He arrived around 1 a.m.
Meanwhile, reliever Jacob Webb also returns to the Orioles today, bolstering the bullpen with the return of a pitcher with a 3.08 ERA in 53 games. He was on the IL with right elbow inflammation and his last O’s game was August 2.
Webb made four rehab appearances in the minor leagues, three scoreless games for Triple-A Norfolk and one in which he allowed four runs in one-third of an inning at Bowie on September 4.
“I think most of them went well. I was a little confused on the one in Bowie. But the other three I felt really fit and I felt like I had everything under control,” Webb said.
Now he’s looking forward to helping the O’s reach the playoffs in the final 13 games.
“I’m really excited to be part of this team and help wherever I can,” he said.
As a result, Kjerstad and Webb were added today and pitcher Cole Irvin and infielder/outfielder Nick Maton were designated for assignment. The O’s 40-man roster includes 38 players.
Webb and Kjerstad are two more IL players returning. Webb said he hopes this list continues to grow as the team continues to get good talent back from the IL.
“I think we have confidence in all the guys in this clubhouse,” he said. “We have a great team here and I’m looking forward to helping this team win some more games.”
