In a flurry of moves Thursday, the Orioles activated three trade deadline acquisitions, replaced an injured All-Star and optioned an outfield prospect.

Baltimore activated recently acquired left-hander Trevor Rogers, and he will start Thursday’s game at the Cleveland Guardians. In addition, they activated designated hitter Eloy Jiménez and outfielder Austin Slater. And, to replace infielder Jordan Westburg, who landed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right hand, the Orioles recalled infielder Liván Soto.

The Orioles optioned left-hander Keegan Akin and designated outfielder Cristian Pache (also acquired via trade) for assignment. They also optioned outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad to Triple-A Norfolk despite executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias saying Wednesday that Kjerstad has “really shown what he can do this season in the majors.”

“He’s a big part of the team here in the second half,” Elias said, “and we have a bunch of talent here that’s going to help us get through the second half and get to the playoffs, and Heston is a big part of that.”

Kjerstad was hitting .261 in 28 games for the Orioles. He has little else to prove in the minors. In 56 games for the Norfolk Tides, Kjerstad is hitting .301 with a .998 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. But, because they didn’t think he would have consistent playing time in Baltimore, the Orioles sent him down.

“The Heston decision was a tough one. We think extremely highly of Heston; it doesn’t mean that Heston is not going to be back with us soon,” Elias said. “This is just the decision we made for right now, where our roster is. We feel like this is going to put the best roster out every single night. We have good outfielders here, and everyday playing time isn’t available right now.”

Replacing Kjerstad are two past-their-prime outfielders. Jiménez, who has played just eight innings in the outfield this year, is batting .240 but has better numbers against left-handed pitching (.304), and he was acquired mainly to help against southpaws. He is dealing with an ailing hamstring injury and will primarily be a designated hitter.

“I’m really excited to be here,” Jiménez said. “It’s an opportunity. I feel glad that the Orioles put confidence in me.”

Slater, added in a cash deal from the Cincinnati Reds, is hitting .185 with a .530 OPS. Slater, a right-handed batter, has reverse splits. He’s hitting better against righties (.214) than lefties (.175) and is comfortable in any outfield spot. He will be a bench player who can play a platoon role or be a late-inning defensive replacement.

“I’m here to contribute as much as I can,” Slater said. “Hopefully bang some lefties around a little bit, play some good defense, run the bases and hopefully help these guys get some wins.”

Westburg’s absence from the lineup will be significant. The 25-year-old earned an All-Star appearance and is batting .269 with an .815 OPS. The Orioles could’ve promoted infield prospect Coby Mayo for his major league debut but opted for Soto, a journeyman who has played 23 major league games over the last three years. In those games, Soto has a .358 average, but he hasn’t stuck with a team.

Mayo, meanwhile, holds a .294 average with a .951 OPS for the Tides. Elias said Mayo is “in the mix” and “there’s still avenues for Coby Mayo here in the near future” but Soto brings more infield versatility, which they need with Westburg and Jorge Mateo out for potentially the rest of the season.

Rogers has struggled over the course of this season to replicate the success of his 2021 rookie year, when he was an All-Star. The southpaw is just 26, but his ERA is 4.53 and his WHIP is 1.528. Rogers has, however, produced a 3.17 ERA over his last nine starts.