Dylan Carlson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk after Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox to make room on the active roster for shortstop Gunnar Henderson (intercostal), who was officially activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday. Carlson is the odd-man out for now with Henderson returning. The 26-year-old former top prospect of the St. Louis Cardinals only played in two games in the early going in his first year in Baltimore and went hitless in six plate appearances with an RBI, run scored, one walk and four strikeouts. In only 96 games in 2024 with the Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays, Carlson slashed just .209/.287/.277 with a career-worst .563 OPS, three home runs and 25 RBI in 265 plate appearances. With a crowded outfield in Baltimore, it's going to be difficult for Carlson to break through in 2025 as a post-hype prospect.

The Baltimore Orioles have placed outfielder Colton Cowser (thumb) on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in his left thumb. In a corresponding move, the Orioles promoted outfielder Dylan Carlson to the MLB roster. Cowser sustained this injury during their contest against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Cowser apparently injured his thumb when sliding for a base. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of that game. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status but expect him to remain sidelined for the foreseeable future. While Cowser remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Ramon Laureano and Heston Kjerstad to see an increase in opportunities in the corner outfield spots. Kjerstad got the starting nod on March 29, suggesting he may be slightly higher than Laureano on the depth chart. Carlson will likely only have a depth role in the outfield.

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Monday that they agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Dylan Carlson on a one-year, $975,000 deal for the 2025 season. Carlson can make an additional $25,000 at 200 plate appearances. The 26-year-old outfielder became a free agent this offseason when the Tampa Bay Rays non-tendered him. He struggled mightily at the plate last season and hit a combined .209/.287/.277 with a career-worst .563 OPS, three home runs, 25 RBI, 19 runs scored and 75 strikeouts in 265 plate appearance over 96 games with the Rays and St. Louis Cardinals. The switch-hitter was once a promising prospect in the Cardinals system, but it's been all downhill since a solid rookie campaign in 2021. Carlson won't be an everyday player in Baltimore, but he could carve out a platoon role in the outfield against left-handed pitching.

The Tampa Bay Rays non-tendered outfielder Dylan Carlson and left-handers Colin Poche, Tyler Alexander and Richard Lovely on Friday, making them all free agents. Once one of the St. Louis Cardinals' top outfield prospects, Carlson now finds himself on the open market this winter after being traded from the Cardinals to the Rays at the deadline this summer. The former first-rounder in 2016 was slightly better in his time with Tampa but still had an overall disappointing slash line in 2024 at .209/.287/.277 with a career-worst .563 OPS, only three home runs, 25 RBI, two steals and 19 runs scored in 97 total games with St. Louis and Tampa. The 26-year-old switch-hitter will surely latch on with another organization, but he's going to need to play much better to have a shot at a platoon role wherever he lands.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Dylan Carlson homered in Friday evening's series-opening walk-off win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Tropicana Field, adding a stolen base. Before hitting an RBI single in the eighth inning, Carlson cranked a solo home run off Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson to right field to cut the Rays' deficit within 2-1 in the fifth frame on Friday against the D-backs. In his last 12 games since joining Tampa Bay, the 25-year-old former top prospect has gone 9-for-34 (.265) with three big flies, eight RBI, four runs scored, and one steal.