Orioles outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is headed to the 10-day injured list with left hamstring discomfort (retroactive to Sept. 5), the team announced. The O’s recalled right-hander Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk to take Robert’s roster spot.

This continues a rough several days for the free-falling Orioles, who are amid a five-game losing streak and sitting three back of a Wild Card spot. Baltimore claimed the oft-injured Robert from the Mets on Aug. 31 with the hope he would aid in a playoff push, but the team has yet to win a game with him. He has gone 2 for 11 with a home run, two strikeouts and a walk in three games with the Orioles. Overall, the 29-year-old has hit a slightly below-average .221/.300/.407 (97 wRC+) with 11 home runs, two stolen bases and a career-high 10.4% walk rate in 230 plate appearances this season.

Robert will be eligible to come back Sept. 15, though if this is even a somewhat serious injury, it could keep him from returning over the final couple weeks of the season. He already missed around three months with lumbar spine disc herniation earlier this year. Robert returned two weeks before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but the Mets were unable to find a taker for him. However, a good performance in August was enough to convince the Orioles to take a flier on the former White Sox All-Star.

Robert is playing on a $20MM salary this year and had about $2.99MM remaining when the Orioles claimed him. They had priority over the Padres, the only other team to submit a claim. In addition to the money owed to Robert this year, the Orioles will have to pay $2MM in the offseason if they buy out a $20MM club option for 2027. This injury, the latest in a long line of them since Robert’s 2020 debut, would seem to increase the likelihood of a buyout.

More to come…