Orioles' Mountcastle out 8-12 weeks with Grade 2 hamstring strain 6q4421

The Baltimore Orioles will be without first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for an extended period. 5g526j

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said Friday that Mountcastle is expected to be sidelined for 8-12 weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com.

"We love Mounty, he's a huge piece of this for us," Mansolino said. "He'll be back at some point. ... It's incredibly disappointing. I feel for him, the group feels for him, but we've got to move forward. We've got some good players here that will step up and pick up the slack."

Mountcastle last played May 30 against the Chicago White Sox. He left the game early and landed on the injured list the following day.

The 28-year-old wasn't performing up to his usual standards before being ruled out, having recorded a .628 OPS (81 OPS+) with just two home runs and 15 RBIs across 200 plate appearances.

He posted an OPS+ of 108 or better in each of the previous five seasons.

Ryan O'Hearn and Coby Mayo have seen time at first base since Mountcastle went down. The former has performed exceptionally well, while the latter has struggled mightily since being recalled from the minor leagues.

Baltimore entered Friday on a six-game winning streak.