Baltimore Orioles fans morose as Cedric Mullins placed on IL with groin strain: "Thank god it’s only 10 day IL, best player on the team"

The Baltimore Orioles placed centerfielder Cedric Mullins on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain.

Mullins was removed from Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians after suffering the injury while running out an eighth-inning grounder. Further testing on Tuesday determined the severity to be enough to warrant a trip to the 10-day injured list.

If Cedric Mullins' stay on the injured list is limited to 10 days, it would be a godsend for Baltimore Orioles fans. However, groin injuries tend to take longer than a week-and-a-half to heal.

Mullins had been playing his way into a likely appearance in the All-Star Game in July, batting .263 with eight home runs, 26 runs scored, 39 RBIs and 13 stolen bases through 53 games.

Rather than dip into MLB's No. 1-ranked farm system for a replacement, the Baltimore Orioles instead signed outfielder Aaron Hicks to a one-year contract.

This season, Hicks was hitting just .188 with one homer and five RBIs before the New York Yankees released him last week. Despite the Yankees' spate of injuries, Hicks saw his playing time stripped to the bone as he played in just 28 of the team's 52 games even through he was fully healthy.

However, Hicks provides a spur-of-the-moment stopgap solution to plug-and-play until a better solution comes along — or Hicks breaks out of his several-season slump.

A .230 career batter, Hicks has not met even that mild standard since 2019.

From 2020 through 2022, he has hit .225, .194 and .216 and hasn't heard much other than constant booing since 2018. In what stands as a career season for the 33-year-old, Hicks hit .248 with 27 home runs. He has hit just 30 homers combined in the four MLB seasons since.

Baltimore Orioles fans are less-than convinced that Hicks is the man to replace Cedric Mullins.

Some Orioles fans may be taking the news a little too hard.

Cedric Mullins in his sixth season with the Baltimore Orioles

Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles watches his hit

Cedric Mullins was drafted by Baltimore in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He debuted with the Orioles in 2018, and has been a .263 career hitter since.

His best season to date was 2021, when he hit .291 with 30 homers and 30 steals. He made his first All-Star Game appearance and finished ninth in the American League Most Valuable Player voting that season.