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The Orioles didn’t get to see Heston Kjerstad at their alternate training site or instructional camp last summer after selecting the slugging outfielder No. 2 in the 2020 Draft. On Friday, O’s GM/EVP Mike Elias revealed why.
Elias said Kjerstad was sidelined due to “an episode of myocarditis,” a viral infection that causes inflammation of the heart muscle. Elias said Kjerstad is expected to report to Spring Training late due to the condition.
“He’s doing really well and we’re going to have him at the camp, but we’re still emerging from the timeline of that,” Elias said. “It’s a bit of a lengthy recovery timeline and there are also risk factors associated with the ongoing pandemic we need to be very mindful and careful about as well.”
MLB Trade Rumors
Claudio Custodio to minor league contracts. Baltimore also confirmed its previouslyreported minor league deals with lefty
Ciuffo, 25, was the No. 21 overall draft pick by the Rays back in 2013. He never graded out as a top prospect but made it to the big leagues with Tampa Bay in 2018 and 2019, hitting a combined .186/.250/.279 in a tiny sample of 50 plate appearances. Had he been healthy in 2019, he’d quite likely have gotten a longer opportunity to boost those numbers, but thumb surgery cost him 10 weeks of the season.
Ciuffo spent the 2020 season at the Rangers’ alternate training site but didn’t reach the Majors, where