Anthony Santander could be nearing his return from a sprained left ankle. The Orioles outfielder is set to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie on Friday.

Santander, who last played for Baltimore on April 20, will split time between the outfield and designated hitter over the next few days.

The switch-hitter’s return should provide a boost for an Orioles offense that entered Thursday with the second-fewest runs scored (138) in the American League behind the Tigers.

Before his injury, Santander had gotten off to a slow start, hitting .196 with two homers and a .551 OPS in 62 plate appearances. However, he blasted 31 home runs and posted an .807 OPS in 130 games across 2019-20.