The Orioles are still in the AL playoff picture.
The Baltimore Orioles have dealt with their fair share of injuries during the 2026 season that have contributed to their underwhelming year. One of the most notable absences has been backup first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who has been unavailable for nearly the entire season. Mountcastle has logged just 14 at-bats in eight games.
After signing Pete Alonso this past winter to a five-year deal, the Orioles could have potentially dealt Mountcastle but elected to hold on. It made sense considering Mountcastle's 2025 season was the worst of his career and trading him at such low value would have yielded very little in return.
Unfortunately, just two weeks into the regular season, Mountcastle broke his left foot while running the bases in a game against the San Francisco Giants. While he did not require surgery, the Orioles played it safe and have gradually increased his baseball activities over the past few months as he managed the discomfort.
Mountcastle had finally progressed enough for the Orioles to feel comfortable sending him on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, that plan never came to fruition.
The Orioles revealed they had pulled him from starting that rehab assignment and that he would instead head back to Baltimore to be re-evaluated. Manager Craig Albernaz provided more clarity on Mountcastle's status when speaking with reporters and admitted he is not feeling fully healthy.
"To start a rehab assignment not 100% is not where you want to be," Albernaz said, per Jake Rill of MLB.com.
Mountcastle is running out of time to make an impact this year, and even if he does return, it may be too late. Baltimore entered Wednesday still sitting four games under .500, and there is a real chance they sell at this year's trade deadline.
Had Mountcastle begun the rehab assignment as planned, there was even a scenario where he himself ended up on the trade block, but that is no longer a possibility.
The situation is especially disappointing when considering, due to the state of the AL, that the Orioles are only two games out of a playoff spot.
Mountcastle's worst season came last year when he posted a .250 batting average, .286 on-base percentage and .653 OPS across 89 games.
However, across his seven-year career he has shown the ability to be an above-average bat and is still just 29 years old. He holds a team option for next season valued at $7.5 million but given how the past two seasons have played out, it is far from guaranteed that Baltimore picks it up.
