Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is on the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres despite a right-hander being on the mound. It's the second straight game that Mullins will start on the bench with a right-handed starter on the mound for the opponent. Rookie Colton Cowser will start in center field and will bat eighth for the O's versus Padres rookie right-hander Adam Mazur. Mullins does have 17 stolen bases in 285 at-bats in 2024, but otherwise he's been a disappointment with a .214 average (61-for-285) and 10 home runs in 93 games. The Orioles have plenty of young outfield options, which hasn't helped his cause. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has gone just 9-for-46 (.196) in 17 contests in July with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, three walks and 15 strikeouts.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins was hot at the plate during Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. The veteran outfielder went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout. The fourth inning blast by Mullins marked his fourth home run of the season. Mullins has been off to a slow start to the season but hopefully this is a sign of good things to come for him.
Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins On The Bench Versus Southpaw
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Cedric Mullins will take a seat on Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians with a left-hander on the mound. Infielder Ramon Urias is also starting on the bench. Adley Rutschman will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff, rookie Colton Cowser is in center field and batting ninth, and Jordan Westburg is playing third and hitting fifth against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen. James McCann is catching and batting eighth. O'Hearn and Mullins typically hit the bench with lefties on the mound. McCann is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, going 7-for-22 with eight RBI. Mullins has become a part-time player in Baltimore this year given his overall struggles at the plate. He's hitting just .204.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins went 2-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Yankees. Mullins played an integral role in the victory, singling home a run in the top of the tenth inning and then scoring on a throwing error when attempting to steal third base. Mullins has seen his batting average and on-base percentage drop precipitously over the last few seasons, bottoming out in 2024 with a current average of .193. On the bright side, the 29-year-old is hitting .323 (10-for-31) since June 9, with two doubles, a triple, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, and a 2:2 BB:K, so perhaps he's starting to turn things around.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is retreating to the bench on Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Colton Cowser will slide over to center field and bat sixth, while Kyle Stowers mans left field and hits in the eight-hole against Rays right-hander Taj Bradley. Mullins is still useful for his speed on the basepaths -- he's swiped 11 bags in 52 games this year -- but he's hitting just .185 (30-for-162) with six home runs, 22 RBI and 22 runs scored in 175 plate appearances with a career-high 25.7% strikeout rate. If Mullins continues to struggle offensively, he'll find himself on the bench more often against right-handed pitching. Stowers has gotten some run in Mullins' expense and has capitalized by going 7-for-18 with three doubles and five RBI in his first 10 games in 2024.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder Jorge Mateo are both sitting out of the lineup on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox. Kyle Stowers will draw into the lineup in left field and will hit eighth, while Ramon Urias will play third base and bat ninth against White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde. Rookie Colton Cowser shifts over to center field and will hit sixth in the batting order. Mullins' fantasy stock continues to fall after going hitless on Friday to drop his season line to .195/.242/.336, although he does have six home runs, 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 149 at-bats for the O's. Stowers has only played in seven games in his third big-league season in 2024 and has gone 2-for-8 with an RBI and three strikeouts. He represents a low-upside DFS option near the bottom of the Baltimore batting order on Saturday.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Bryce Miller. It's the third time in the last five games that Mullins has started on the bench for the Orioles. Rookie Colton Cowser is in center field and is hitting sixth on Friday, while Kyle Stowers is starting in left field and batting eighth against Miller. Mullins' fantasy stock is obviously down with his loss of playing time coming due to his .183/.234/.349 slash line on the year with six home runs, 18 RBI and six stolen bases in 126 at-bats. Since April 22, Mullins has gone 5-for-59 (.085) with a home run, three RBI, two stolen bases, four walks and 19 strikeouts in 63 plate appearances over 18 games played. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues need to keep Mullins on their bench until he starts producing again.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is the second game in a row that Mullins has missed, which is likely due to his middling performance at the plate. The veteran speedster is slashing a disappointing .192/.244/.367 with a 33:8 K:BB, but he does have six home runs, 18 RBI and six steals. Managers in deeper leagues can hang onto Mullins a little longer, but he enters droppable territory if playing time becomes a significant concern. Colton Cowser is starting in centerfield and batting seventh with Mullins out. Cowser is also trying to bust a slump as he is batting .149 with no homers across his last 15 games.
Cedric Mullins Out Of Saturday’s Lineup, Heston Kjerstad In
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is not in Saturday's lineup after starting the last three games. As a result, Colton Cowser will shift to center field which opens the door for Heston Kjerstad to start in left field. Mullins has had a disappointing season with a .193/.246/.370 across 36 games and a rough .087/.125/.130 through the start of May. Kjerstad was promoted to the major league roster on April 22 but has not had stable playing time. However, with how Mullins is struggling at the plate, Kjerstad may be given more opportunities. Kjerstad is worth inserting in your DFS lineup as he will face Ryne Nelson who enters Saturday's game with a 5.23 ERA.
Cedric Mullins Out Of Lineup Against Lefty On Saturday
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is out of the Orioles lineup on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a matchup decision as the Royals are starting their dynamic lefty Cole Ragans. Jorge Mateo will be starting in center field in place of Mullins. Mateo has been much stronger against lefties, hitting for a .908 OPS compared to Mullins' .388 OPS in 16 PA. The 29-year-old should be expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday as the Orioles will face off against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo.
