The Orioles are moving this veteran outfielder all through the system.

The life of a professional ballplayer can be rough sometimes.

There’s only room for 26 players on an MLB roster, which leaves dozens of very good athletes out of the league. The Baltimore Orioles have shuffled their roster more than any team this season.

Cooper Hummel, a 30-year-old outfielder, was part of multiple transactions for the O’s recently. He signed two major league contracts with Baltimore, only to have one at-bat. It was a microscopic opportunity that lasted two games.

In the span of 10 days, Hummel was released by the New York Yankees, signed with the Orioles twice, and was designated for assignment twice. The O’s were Hummel’s third team this season, having been with the Houston Astros for spring training. Hummel appeared in six games for the Astros last year.

His lone Orioles appearance was his 83rd MLB game. Hummel made his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 and collected 14 extra-base hits in 66 games as a rookie.

Most of his time has been spent in Triple-A, where he holds an .894 on-base plus slugging percentage in 340 appearances.

Why the Orioles signed Cooper Hummel twice just to DFA him

Constructing an MLB roster during the season is challenging.

Injuries, suspensions, and slumps will alter plans and force front offices to think outside the box to fulfill a 26-man roster every night. Depth is such a key to succeeding in baseball, and the Orioles dealt with their share of issues early in the season.

Multiple outfielders on Baltimore’s 40-man roster have frequently spent time on the injured list. It started with Colton Cowser in the fourth game of the season, and quickly spread to three other outfielders. Tyler O’Neill, for example, is amid his second stint on the IL.

The Orioles signed Hummel a day after Ramon Laureano was placed on the IL. He signed again the same day Cedric Mullins hit the shelf.

Baltimore saw Hummel as a good fill-in for a few days while rehab assignments concluded and more roster decisions were made.

Laureano and O’Neill should be back within the next two weeks, while Mullins is expected to be activated following the minimum 10 days on the injured list. It leaves no room for Hummel, who was never part of the O’s long-term plan.

Where Hummel ends up next is anyone’s guess. Maybe the Orioles try to stash him in Triple-A and add him to the depth chart. The 2016 draft pick might want the opportunity to find another MLB roster spot, one that will last longer than a day or two.