The Baltimore Orioles' playoff hopes are continuing to diminish as we get closer to the All-Star break. 

While Blaze Alexander has been a bright spot for the Orioles, transforming from a utility player to a productive hitter at the bottom of the lineup, his defense has regressed recently. 

Alexander is normally established for his defense, as he committed only one error across his first 67 games. But the 27-year-old has gone through a rough patch defensively, committing four errors across a five-game span. 

Since transitioning to third base, his defense has taken a downturn, and that's where he has committed all his errors. His most costly defensive hiccup came against the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. 

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, his error allowed two runs to score, and the White Sox defeated the Orioles 8-2. It wasn't a pleasant sight at Camden Yards as fans were outraged and even started booing. 

Blaze Alexander had 1 error in his 1st 67 games for the Orioles this season.

He now has 4 errors in his past 5 games (and 3 over his past 3), all at 3rd base.

His latest came with 2 outs in the top of the 9th and allowed 2 White Sox runs to score, pushing their lead to 8-2.

Orioles need to rethink the positioning of Blaze Alexander

On June 11 against the Seattle Mariners, Alexander also committed a fielding error at third base. In the top of the ninth, with one out and the Orioles leading 7-5, what seemed like a routine groundout turned into an error and allowed Julio Rodriguez to advance to second base. 

While the error didn't cause any damage and the Orioles still beat the Mariners, 7-5, considering the recent errors he has committed at hot corner, third base has signified a defensive weakness for Alexander. While his .297 batting average and eight stolen bases have made him a valuable asset, his recent struggles with his fielding have made his long-term fixture at third base questionable. 

Across 22 games in June, Alexander logged a .350 batting average with 21 hits, two home runs, 11 RBI and eight runs scored. There's no doubt that Alexander has been vital to the lineup, providing reliable offense following a significant injury to Jordan Westburg that has him out for the season to rehab from Tommy John surgery. 

While the Orioles have wanted to provide him with an everyday role, leaving him at third with his - 1 Outs Above Average (OAA) at the position could continue to weigh down the team's defense. Young infielder Coby Mayo has shared time with Alexander at third base and could be utilized more frequently at hot corner if Alexander's defensive struggles continue.

Having Mayo gain more reps at third would develop his game and could help resolve the issue. Considering that Alexander performs better at different positions, such as shortstop, the Orioles might need to tweak their infield roster.