When the 2021 season began, Ryan McKenna was at the Orioles’ alternate site at Bowie, preparing for his first season at Triple-A Norfolk. McKenna was supposed to play Triple-A in 2020, but without a minor league ball he didn’t have any real games.
McKenna spent the 2020 season at the alternate venue and was able to take a few road trips with the Orioles as part of their taxi squad and appeared to be a spare for the 21-outfield.
At the start of last season, the focus was on how manager Brandon Hyde would secure playing time for Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and DJ Stewart.
Injuries to Hays and Santander and Mountcastle’s move to first base and designated hitter meant there was no more outfield surplus.
McKenna, who traveled with the Orioles on their first road trip to Boston and New York City, was activated for the first of seven stints with the team on April 5.e after Hays suffered a hamstring injury at Fenway Park.
Instead of spending his first season at Triple-A, McKenna ended up playing 90 games with the Orioles and only 27 with the Tides.
McKenna was preparing to return to the alternate site on April 20e after Hays was activated, but Santander sprained his left ankle at the start of the Orioles game in Miami, and McKenna was called up without leaving.
A week later he was sent down only to return on May 9e. His longest stints in the minors were in June when he missed 17 Oriole games and in mid-August when he didn’t play 13.
Time spent in Norfolk was put to good use. McKenna, who had reached 0.377 in a half-season at High-A Frederick in 2018 before struggling at Double-A Bowie in 2018 and 2019, reached 0.307 with a 1.106 OPS.
In those 27 games, McKenna has hit 11 home runs, had 23 RBIs and stole seven goals in 10 attempts.
His numbers with the Orioles weren’t as good. McKenna, who had starts in all three outfield positions, reached 0.183 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He walked 24 times and his base percentage was 0.292.
McKenna was often used as a defensive substitute and ran 17 times. He only tried to fly once and succeeded.
McKenna was a useful fourth outfielder, but if Hays, Mullins, Santander and Stewart returned, the Orioles would have to keep five for him to have a spot.
Jorge Mateo, who is also a skilled pinch runner, can play both in the outfield and in the infield.
In 2022, the Orioles could finally promote Yusniel Diaz, a McKenna teammate to the minors, if his health and performance permits. Kyle Stowers, who went from High-A Aberdeen to Triple-A Norfolk in 2021, could also take a look.
Diaz or Stowers might not find a comfortable fit as a reserve or pinch runner, but the Orioles invested more in them than they do McKenna, who was their fourth-round pick in 2015, the same year as Stewart. and Mountcastle were their first two caps.
The Orioles’ outfield is their strength, and with more prospects going on, McKenna will need to strike to secure a spot. He can support Mullins in the middle of the field, but so can Hays. He can run well, but so can Hays.
If the Orioles decide to leave Santander or Stewart, McKenna could benefit, but it wouldn’t be surprising for the Orioles to pursue a veteran outfielder after the lockout ends.
A step back ? After no face-to-face interviews during the pandemic-cut short 2020 season, the past year has brought some sense of normalcy. Starting in June, Hyde met with the press on the pitch ahead of the home games and one-on-one interviews were arranged at the request of members of the media who were fully vaccinated.
This fall, the NFL, NBA and NHL teams did not open their locker rooms, but held pre-game and post-game media sessions in person in the interview rooms.
With the Omicron variant raging, games in all three leagues were postponed and on Monday the Ravens began carrying out their press availability through Zoom.
Health and safety protocols for 2022 are to be negotiated between the players and Major League Baseball, and media access in normal times is still part of the negotiation.
It was hoped that during the spring training 2022 open clubs would return, at least for fully vaccinated members of the media, but that seems questionable, if not questionable.
There’s no substitute for in-person sessions, but the combination of difficult negotiation for a new collective agreement and health concerns could make open clubs less of a priority.
Players, especially those who are not stars, benefit from more access. We get to know them better and more coverage can lead to post-player careers in baseball and in the media.
