SEATTLE -- The Orioles’ roster has been shuffling players for the better part of the past two months, largely due to the injury woes that currently have 11 players sidelined. So the group looked a bit different Tuesday -- when outfielder Colton Cowser returned from a left thumb fracture -- than it did when he sustained the injury on March 30.
Did Cowser notice any different energy or vibes?
“I’ve been here for a grand total of two hours,” Cowser joked before the series opener in Seattle. “But it feels good. It feels good to be around the guys again. I feel like we’ve got really good personalities in this clubhouse no matter who’s coming in.”
None of those personalities are larger than that of Cowser, who immediately made an impact by hitting a sixth-inning solo home run in the O’s 5-1 victory over the Mariners that extended Baltimore’s winning streak to a season-high four. But not before he had a bit of fun and incited some laughs in the visitors’ clubhouse at T-Mobile Park earlier in the day.
The topic: Shrimp.
It stemmed from a social media post by Topps on Monday, when the trading card company posted a preview of an autographed Gunnar Henderson card. On this particular one (numbered 17 of 20), Henderson signed his name and also scribbled, “Cowser is afraid of shrimp.”
Henderson signed the card during Spring Training, when many O’s players went on group fishing trips. They used shrimp as their bait. And you may be able to tell where this story is going …
“One time, one jumped out of my hand and I had to grab it off the ground and it took a little bit longer because it was in the crevice of the deck,” Cowser said. “So he assumed I was afraid of it.”
Cowser wanted to set the record straight.
"I’m not afraid of shrimp, by the way,” Cowser said. “I will grab the shrimp.”
Keep an eye out, because Henderson may have some more Easter eggs coming via Topps. Cowser dropped a hint, but he stopped himself before a reveal.
”I heard he wrote a couple other things on some cards, so look out for that,” Cowser said. ”I know on one of the 1-of-1s he said something that -- apparently he wrote it, I don’t know what he wrote.”
We may find out soon enough.
The shrimp tale -- which then became a topic of conversation among various players as Cowser filled others in -- is a perfect example of what the Orioles were missing with the 25-year-old outfielder out for the past two months. His high energy and quirkiness have been a driving factor in the positive vibes in Baltimore’s clubhouse in recent years.
“I think we knew we were going to miss him,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “We knew it to the extent? I’m not so sure. Even if everybody else stayed in the lineup and we avoided all the other injuries, I just think the outfield defense, the baserunning, the offensive at-bat, the ability to draw walks -- he can beat you in a lot of different ways and can help you win the game in a lot of different ways. He’s just not a one-trick pony type of player.
“We’re really excited, and we’re excited for the personality. It’s a huge personality in the clubhouse, which we love. The whole package is great.”
Cowser’s second home run of the season was a Statcast-projected 374-foot blast hit the opposite way to left-center field off Mariners right-hander Eduard Bazardo. His solo shot was part of a 13-hit attack in support of right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who tossed seven innings of one-run ball.
It was among Baltimore’s more well-rounded performances of the year. The O’s (23-36) could be turning things around, as they’re 8-8 since Mansolino became interim manager following Brandon Hyde’s dismissal.
The addition of Cowser (the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Award runner-up) should only help the Orioles play better -- and stay looser.
“It’s huge to get a player like that back. He’s a really great player on both sides of the ball,” said outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in the ninth. “He’s definitely a spark for this team and a great guy to have in the clubhouse, too.”
“Getting Cowser back is big, especially if he’s going to continue hitting homers,” said right-hander Bryan Baker, who pitched a scoreless eighth. “He brings good energy as well. It’s good to get a few wins in a row, and it’s a game of momentum. So the vibes are high, and hopefully, we can continue that.”