Report: O's top pick Heston Kjerstad cleared medically to return originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
For the first time since he was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Orioles fans are finally going to be able to follow Heston Kjerstad's journey as a prospect in the organization.
Kjerstad hasn't played for the O's at any level since being drafted as a result of his episode of myocarditis. The Orioles only referred to the issue as a non-sports medical issue last season, but over the winter GM Mike Elias confirmed it was myocarditis.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“He’s doing really well and we’re going to have him at the camp, but we’re still emerging from the timeline of that,” Elias told MLB.com in January. “It’s a bit of a lengthy recovery timeline and there are also risk factors associated with the ongoing pandemic we need to be very mindful and careful about as well.”
Now, after a long period off the diamond, Kjerstad reportedly is able to begin working his way back.
"2020 No. 2 overall pick Heston Kjerstad has been cleared medically and will report to the Orioles' alternate site in Bowie, Md., tomorrow," MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis tweeted Tuesday. "Will take a months-long buildup to return to game action after a long layoff to rest and treat myocarditis."
Kjerstad is considered one of the best prospects in the O's farm system. He is a future right fielder with lots of power in his bat, and he could be the long term cleanup hitter in Baltimore if he taps into his potential.
O's fans will be excited to finally see him on the field as they dream of a contending team in the coming years. Most importantly of all, it's also exciting to hear that Kjerstad is feeling healthy and able to get back to pursuing his future in baseball.
