Heston Kjerstad DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (elbow) is starting in left field and is batting sixth on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals and left-hander Mitchell Parker at Nationals Park. Kjerstad will be available for the series opener against the Nats after sitting on Sunday following a bruised elbow that he suffered on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. While Kjerstad has been swinging the bat well early in the season for the O's, fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere in DFS while he faces a left-hander on Tuesday. He's gone 2-for-7 against southpaws early on, but all three of his home runs and all but one of his 12 RBI this year have come against right-handed pitchers. The 26-year-old outfielder enters Tuesday's contest slashing .261/.300/.500 with three homers, 12 RBI and nine runs scored in his first 18 games for Baltimore.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (elbow) was forced to exit early during Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Kjerstad was pulled out of the contest after getting hit in the elbow by a pitch from Hunter Greene in the first inning. The X-rays were negative and the team is calling the injury right elbow discomfort. For now, Kjerstad should be considered day-to-day, but the expectation is that he'll undergo further evaluation. Ramon Laureano took over on Saturday and figures to see more playing time if Kjerstad is forced to miss time.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad turned in a productive game in a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. Kjerstad went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk in the winning effort. The 26-year-old outfielder plated the final two runs of the game with a 400-foot two-run homer off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee in the sixth inning. Kjerstad is now hitting .233 with two homers, eight runs, and 10 RBI across 43 at-bats in the first month of the season.

Per Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad is set for more playing time against right-handed pitchers in the absence of teammate Colton Cowser (thumb). Cowser recently fractured his thumb sliding for a base and is expected to miss six to eight weeks while he recovers. In the meantime, Kjerstad will slot in against righties while fellow outfielders Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson will get some run against lefties. Kjerstad -- a former first-round pick -- tore up minor league pitching at every stop since joining the organization in 2022 but hasn't been able to put it together in the majors just yet. He'll get an extended look with Cowser on the mend.

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias sees outfielder Heston Kjerstad as a front-runner for an Opening Day roster spot this year. "He's has earned the right to get at-bats in the corner outfield and at designated hitter, especially against right-handed pitchers," Elias said. Anthony Santander left in free agency, but the O's added outfielders Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson and Ramon Laureano and also have Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, and Ryan O'Hearn. Still, the 26-year-old Kjerstad should see plenty of playing time against right-handed pitchers, either in a corner outfield spot or at designated hitter. He has nothing left to prove in the minors. In the big leagues, he's struck out nearly 30% of the time but also has a 46.5% hard-hit rate. With more playing time, Kjerstad is certainly worth a bench spot for outfield depth in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.