The Baltimore Orioles will be without veteran slugger Mark Trumbo for the start of the regular season, as the 32-year-old was diagnosed Thursday with a Grade 2 strain of his right quad and is expected to miss three-to-four weeks, according to multiple reports.
Trumbo, who will open the season on the disabled list, returned to the lineup Wednesday after sitting out for a week, but felt renewed discomfort in his quad following an 0-for-3 showing in his club's Grapefruit League win over the New York Yankees, and was sent Thursday for an MRI that revealed the strain.
"He said he was driving home and said he was getting some stiffness and soreness," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com's Rich Dubroff.
In Trumbo's absence, the Orioles will likely bump either Chris Davis or Trey Mancini into the DH role for the first couple weeks of the regular season, with non-roster invitees Pedro Alvarez or Danny Valencia potentially filling the ensuing void at first, or Craig Gentry or Alex Presley taking over the vacant outfield spot.
After landing a three-year, $37.5-million contract from the Orioles last offseason, Trumbo took a step backward at the plate in 2017, posting a .686 OPS - his worst since becoming a full-time player in 2011 - with 23 home runs while accruing -1.2 WAR in 146 games.
