Orioles bench bat Ryan O’Hearn has bought into his sporadic role, one he believes can keep him in the majors – The Denver Post

Ryan O’Hearn’s job, most days, is to sit on the bench and wait.

The Orioles’ first baseman gets the occasional start against a right-handed starting pitcher. But usually his role is as a bench bat, a left-handed hitter at manager Brandon Hyde’s disposal to pinch hit against a right-handed reliever.

The role isn’t new for O’Hearn, who spent the past few years in Kansas City as a bench bat for the Royals. It’s not the job O’Hearn wants, but it’s one he’s learned to accept — and even joke about.

“We were joking earlier about if I was gonna get a statue over there,” O’Hearn said, recalling a conversation he had with his former teammates earlier this week. “I said, ‘Yeah, maybe on that bench over there they could put a statue for me.’”

O’Hearn spent the…