Just days after the O’s called up Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia, another player will be making the trek from Norfolk to Baltimore.
L.J. Hoes, an outfielder who has been lighting up the stat sheet with the Tides, will be called up and possibly activated on Sunday. The right-handed hitter got a brief appearance last fall when he was called up just for one at-bat, but this stretch with the team could end up being a little longer thanks to what he has been doing in AAA.
He’s hitting .304/.406/.403 with 111 hits, a number that leads all Tides. At just 23 years old, Hoes has impressed at every level of the Orioles farm system, every step of the way. Starting with the Shorebirds in 2009, he worked his way up to Bowie by 2011 and earned his first call-up last season.
Hoes played in 99 games in Norfolk this year, registering a .406 on-base percentage and driving in 40 runs. He’s not necessarily known as a power hitter, but he can drive the ball. He had 29 extra base-hits including 25 doubles, a number that also leads the Tides.
Looking for his first major league hit, Hoes is starting in left field and batting eighth on Sunday.
A new surge of young blood has entered the Orioles clubhouse. Is it what the team needs to make a run at the 2013 postseason?
