Orioles signed new hitter, then released him, then just signed him again

Billy Heyen

Orioles signed new hitter, then released him, then just signed him again image

The Baltimore Orioles can't make up their mind on Cooper Hummel.

They signed the journeyman on May 25. They designated him for assignment on May 26. And they just signed him to their MLB roster again on Friday, May 30.

Yes, it's confusing.

Baltimore had signed Hummel to be a depth piece, but then an Adley Rutschman injury meant Hummel had to be DFA'd to call up another catcher.

Once Rutschman got healthy, there was room again for Hummel to be the final bench bat.

Hummel used to catch, but that's no longer something in his repertoire, apparently.

Last season, Hummel was in the Astros organization but spent most of his time in Triple-A, where he hit .277 with 10 homers and 15 stolen bases with a .419 OBP.

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Hummel started this season with the Yankees but eventually was let go without appearing in an MLB game.

He's probably just a corner outfielder or first baseman at this point, and he's never found success hitting at the big league level.

But Hummel's minor league track record is long, and he's still quick and versatile, so he can add some helpful depth to the struggling Orioles.

It just took quite the up-and-down week for Hummel to (hopefully) stick with Baltimore.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle