The Baltimore Orioles claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off outright waivers from the New York Mets on Monday.
A claim on outright waivers requires Baltimore to assume Robert’s remaining Mets contract. He is owed one more month on this year’s $20 million salary, plus a $2 million buyout on a $22 million option for next season, putting the Orioles on the hook for at least $5 million in order to make the move.
Robert, 29, was batting .223 with 10 home runs, 23 RBIs and a .702 OPS in 58 games for the Mets this season, while missing time with a back injury.
Robert rebounded in August when he amassed six home runs and 11 RBIs with a .267 batting average over 24 games. He has played 605 of his 635 career games in center field.
He was an All-Star in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox, hitting 38 home runs with 80 RBIs and 20 stolen bases over 145 games.
In other roster moves, the Orioles recalled left-hander Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk to start Monday’s game against the host Colorado Rockies, optioned right-hander Anthony Nunez to Triple-A and designated infielder Luis Vazquez for assignment.
Povich, 26, had appeared sparsely for the big-league club in April, May and August. He was 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA over six games, including five starts. He is 8-18 in his three-year career with the Orioles, amassing a 5.11 ERA over 44 games (41 starts).
Nunez, 25, was 3-2 with a 4.29 ERA through 44 relief appearances in his first MLB season. Vazquez, 26, was only utilized in one game at the major league level this year after appearing in 32 for the Orioles in 2025. He’s batted .145 with one homer and four RBIs in 44 career games for the Chicago Cubs (2024) and O’s.
Baltimore entered Monday’s play with a 68-69 record and one game out of the final American League wild-card spot.
–Field Level Media
