McKenna signed a one-year contract with the Orioles on Friday, avoiding arbitration.
There had been some thought that McKenna could be a non-tender candidate, but the O's like his ability to play all across the outfield. The 26-year-old will be competing for a bench spot in the spring.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Not on playoff roster
Rotowire
McKenna isn't listed on the Orioles' roster for their ALDS matchup with Texas, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Despite serving as outfield depth for most of the regular season, McKenna will be unavailable for the ALDS. His role with the Orioles has diminished significantly since the arrival of Heston Kjerstad, who was promoted in mid-September and was awarded a spot on the playoff roster.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Sent back to Norfolk
Rotowire
Baltimore optioned McKenna to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Ryan Mountcastle (shoulder) has been activated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding roster move. McKenna did not receive a plate appearance during his one-week stay with the Orioles.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Back in majors
Rotowire
McKenna was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
McKenna is back for another stint with the big club as Ryan Mountcastle (shoulder) goes on the injured list. It's possible he sees a little action versus lefties, but ultimately his playing time figures to be sparse.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Heads to Triple-A
Rotowire
McKenna was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.
Though Ryan Mountcastle (shoulder) will avoid the injured list for now, he's banged up enough for the Orioles to desire another power-hitting bat off the bench. Enter Heston Kjerstad, who was called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday to replace the light-hitting McKenna on the 28-man active roster. The 26-year-old McKenna has mustered a .677 OPS across 129 plate appearances for Baltimore this season.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Drives in two
Rotowire
McKenna went 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored in Monday's 9-0 win over the White Sox.
McKenna has gone 4-for-15 (.267) over seven contests since he was recalled to the majors to provide outfield depth with Aaron Hicks (back) sidelined. For the year, McKenna is slashing .250/.310/.353 with two home runs, a career-high three steals, 16 RBI, 20 runs scored and six doubles over 132 plate appearances. He'll likely see most of his playing time against southpaws, though he got the nod in left field versus a right-hander (Michael Kopech) for Monday's game.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Back in big leagues
Rotowire
McKenna was recalled by the Orioles on Saturday.
McKenna will fill the roster spot vacated by Aaron Hicks, who landed on the injured list with a lower-back strain. McKenna can play all three outfield positions but is unlikely to serve as anything more than a backup considering he owns a .670 OPS at the major-league level this season and a .612 OPS for his career.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Walks it off Saturday
Rotowire
McKenna hit a walk-off two-run home run in Saturday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Mariners.
Anthony Santander went 4-for-4 but gave way to McKenna as a defensive replacement late in the game. McKenna then came through on offense, taking Justin Topa deep for the walk-off win. Playing time remains sparse for McKenna -- he has just 11 at-bats over 15 games in June, but he's collected a hit in three of his last four games. The outfielder is at a .250/.391/.395 slash line with two homers, 10 RBI, 14 runs scored and a stolen base over 83 plate appearances. With Cedric Mullins back from a groin injury, McKenna's path to playing time has gotten even tougher, so he'll likely remain a bench bat.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Starting in center field
Rotowire
McKenna is starting in center field and batting eighth on Thursday versus the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
McKenna's playing time usually comes against lefties, but he's getting the call here versus righty Clarke Schmidt. Cedric Mullins will receive a day of rest.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Picks up hit off bench
Rotowire
McKenna (back) went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Baltimore's win over the Angels on Tuesday.
Tuesday's appearance was McKenna's first since May 8, as the outfielder has been out of the lineup due to back troubles. McKenna is out of the starting lineup again Wednesday against the Angels, but he should be available off the bench if necessary.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Goes yard for first time in 2023
Rotowire
McKenna went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI during a 6-4 win over the Tigers in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Getting the start in center field and batting eighth, McKenna provided the O's with what proved to be crucial insurance runs when he launched a two-run shot off Matthew Boyd. McKenna's defensive versatility makes him a valuable fourth outfielder for Baltimore, and he's held his own at the plate so far in 2023 by hitting .276 (8-for-29) with one homer, one steal, five runs and six RBI.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Makes impact off bench
Rotowire
McKenna went 2-for-2 with an RBI double in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.
McKenna didn't start Wednesday, but he was able to knock in an insurance run in the eighth inning. With Austin Hays (hand) unavailable, McKenna and Terrin Vavra could see a short-term jump in playing time. McKenna has appeared in 16 games, but he has just 22 plate appearances this season. He's hitting .263 with three RBI, two runs scored, two doubles and a stolen base while also often serving as a defensive replacement.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Showing solid plate discipline
Rotowire
McKenna is just 3-for-14 through six Grapefruit League games, but he's also drawn four walks and added one stolen base on two attempts.
McKenna's unlikely to earn anything more than a bench role to begin 2023. The improved plate discipline should help -- he drew just 11 walks in 172 plate appearances last season, a 6.6 percent rate. McKenna's place in the Orioles' plans for this year likely depends on whether the team wants to open with four or five outfielders. Kyle Stowers is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with four walks across six games this spring and could have the edge over McKenna if the team goes with four outfielders, though it's also possible Stowers slots in at designated hitter frequently. McKenna's solid defense and speed arguably make him more suited to serve as a late-game replacement.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Productive out of leadoff spot
Rotowire
McKenna went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's 3-1 loss against the Red Sox.
After receiving just one plate appearance in the last seven games for Baltimore, McKenna got the start out of the leadoff spot and made the most out it. He reached base safely in all three of his at-bats, recording his first multi-hit game since Aug. 15. McKenna still figures to be the fourth outfielder on the depth chart, so it's not likely he produces much for fantasy purposes to close the season.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Heads to bench
Rotowire
McKenna is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.
McKenna was included in the lineup in each of the last three games, picking up starts at all three outfield spots while going 4-for-10 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run. He'll likely continue to pick up starts against left-handed pitching while he's on the roster, but McKenna won't have a direct path to regular playing time versus right-handed pitching while all of Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander and Terrin Vavra are available.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Doubles twice Monday
Rotowire
McKenna went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jays.
McKenna has found a bit of a groove in August, going 8-for-21 (.381) with a home run, three doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. The 25-year-old outfielder is up to a .271/.320/.398 slash line with two homers, 10 RBI, 20 runs and two steals through 130 plate appearances . He's started in center field and batted leadoff against the last three southpaws the Orioles have faced, so it appears McKenna could be starting to take a little bit of playing time away from Cedric Mullins. Perhaps it's not a strict platoon situation, but it's a way for manager Brandon Hyde to get McKenna's bat in the lineup while he's hot.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Hits first homer
Rotowire
McKenna went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, a walk, three runs and a stolen base in Tuesday's extra-inning victory over the Rangers.
McKenna picked an ideal time to launch his first home run of the season, as his eighth-inning solo shot put Baltimore ahead 8-7, though Texas quickly retook the lead in the following frame. The 25-year-old continues to see occasional starts as the Orioles' No. 4 outfielder, though he could see an uptick in playing time if Austin Hays (wrist) requires a stint on the injured list.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Notches steal as pinch runner
Rotowire
McKenna stole a base as a pinch runner in Friday's 1-0 win over the Rays.
McKenna ran for Anthony Santander in the ninth inning, and the former stole his first bag of the season. After going 2-for-14 (.143) while starting three times in Toronto, McKenna is expected to resume a bench role with the Orioles back stateside. He's slashing .238/.300/.317 with four RBI, eight runs scored and five doubles across 70 plate appearances as a reserve outfielder this year.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Nabs third consecutive start
Rotowire
McKenna will start in left field and bat seventh in Thursday's game against the Blue Jays, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Despite going hitless in eight at-bats while starting in both of the past two contests, McKenna will get the starting nod in the corner outfield over rookie Kyle Stowers in the series finale. Stowers is likely to head back to Triple-A Norfolk once Anthony Santander (personal) returns from the restricted list this weekend, at which point McKenna will presumably move back into a fourth-outfielder role.
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Orioles' Ryan McKenna: Sits in fourth straight
Rotowire
McKenna remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
After a recent stretch of five starts in the Baltimore outfield over six games, McKenna finds himself on the bench for the fourth straight contest. With Ryan Mountcastle returning from the 10-day injured list over the weekend, the Orioles have all their key position players available, so McKenna is likely to receive limited at-bats moving forward.
