The Baltimore Orioles escaped Anaheim with a 6-1 win Monday night, but the biggest story after the game was not Kyle Bradish‘s dominance or Taylor Ward‘s revenge homer against his former club.
It was what happened after Blaze Alexander exited with a knee injury.
When Alexander left the game and Jackson Holliday was already unavailable due to groin tightness, the Orioles suddenly found themselves without a natural infielder. Instead of moving Taylor Ward — who has brief experience at the position and has started 46 games at third base in the majors — Baltimore turned to Leody Taveras, an outfielder who had never played third base in his professional career.
That decision has sparked plenty of conversation, especially after reports indicated Ward was unwilling to move back to the hot corner despite his previous experience there. The result was Taveras being thrown into one of the most difficult defensive positions on the field with no preparation.
To Taveras’ credit, he handled the assignment admirably. The Orioles did not suffer any defensive disasters, and he navigated five innings at third base without incident before Baltimore eventually moved Coby Mayo out of the designated hitter role into the position for the final two innings.
Still, the situation does raise some questions about clubhouse accountability.
Baseball players are creatures of routine, and Ward has spent the majority of the last several years establishing himself as an everyday left fielder. Asking him to slide over to third base in the middle of a game is not ideal, but neither is asking a player, who was not originally in the lineup, to make his debut at a position he has never played before.
The Orioles have built much of their recent success on versatility. Blaze Alexander has played all over the diamond. Jeremiah Jackson has spent time at multiple infield and outfield spots. When injuries strike, adaptability becomes a necessity, not a luxury.
That is why Taveras deserves recognition for answering the call. Regardless of how uncomfortable the situation may have been, he put the team first and took on an unfamiliar role to benefit his club.
“Excited, honestly,” Taveras said to the media postgame. “You have to find a way to help the team. That is all I had in my mind, so I go out there, catch the ball and make the out.”
In the end, Baltimore got the win. But if reports about Ward’s reluctance are accurate and serious, this episode serves as an interesting reminder that versatility is not just about having the ability to play multiple positions — it is also about having the willingness to do whatever the team needs in the moment.
“He is a great teammate,” starter Kyle Bradish said to the media after tossing eight scoreless innings on the mound. “You can ask anybody in there. And also a great athlete. If anybody was going to go out there and do it, it should have been him.”
As for Alexander, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said postgame that the 27-year-old is dealing with a right knee contusion after fouling a ball off that knee in the second inning.
The Orioles do have infielder Luis Vázquez on the taxi squad, and he will likely be called up to the 26-man roster prior to Tuesday’s game against the Angels due to both Alexander and Jackson Holliday’s statuses.
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