BOSTON — When Anthony Santander was receiving the Most Valuable Oriole award this time last year, his season-ending oblique injury wasn’t enough to obscure the foundation of hope he’d built for his future.
The switch-hitting, slugging outfielder was entering the prime of his career and proved, over parts of the past two seasons, that he could be an important middle-of-the-order bat once the Orioles turned things around.
But his encore to that award-worthy season never got going. Santander missed a month with an ankle sprain he suffered on April 20, and has only shown flashes of being that player since returning.