Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser is going on the injured list with a fractured left thumb and will miss at minimum the next six to eight weeks, including Monday’s home opener, manager Brandon Hyde said.

Dylan Carlson was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to fill Cowser’s spot, although in Baltimore’s lineup for Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, Ramón Laureano is receiving his first start since signing this winter.

The injury to Cowser occurred in Sunday’s series finale in Toronto when Cowser dove for the first base bag, attempting to beat out an infield single. Cowser returned to play defense but wound up requiring catcher Gary Sánchez to pinch hit for him in the ninth inning.

“Everybody in that room knows the risk you take when you go head first, but it’s also an instinctual baseball play, and he’s doing everything he can — I thought he was safe, too," Hyde said. “He’s trying to beat the guy to the bag and he’s hustling. It’s just kind of a freak, unfortunate thing.”

Cowser was 2-for-16 with a home run in the first four games of the season. He handled leadoff duties against right-handed pitchers in Toronto, a role that he would’ve likely ceded once shortstop Gunnar Henderson returns.

This is the second left hand injury in quick succession for Cowser. He fractured his left hand in Game 2 of the wild-card series last year when he was hit by a pitch.

“It’s not good,” infielder Ryan O’Hearn said. “But we’d rather have him at the end of the year, you know. I think for me, I always look at the silver lining, the positive. If there is any positive, I try to find it. We have a lot of good players, so that’s a good thing. We’re deep. Dylan Carlson is a great player and he had a great spring and he’s going to help us. Obviously, it sucks. Cowser’s a big part of this team. And especially this early, you don’t want to see him go down. But we’ve got to find a way to keep rolling.”

Carlson, signed in the offseason to a one-year, $975,000 deal, hit .321 with a 1.071 OPS during spring training. He was optioned on the last day of camp and had three hits in the Tides’ first two games.

Carlson primarily spent the previous four seasons with the Cardinals, hitting .237. He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions.

“I was notified last night that I would be coming out here,” said Carlson, who drove from Norfolk. “Excited to be here. Happy to take part in this opening day and see how it is. ... You’ve just got to stay ready no matter where you’re at.”

But it appears that more playing time over the next few months will be handed to Heston Kjerstad and Laureano.

Monday marks Kjerstad’s second start of the season and just his second start against a left-handed starting pitcher (excluding a reliever used as an opener) in his short career. This spring, general manager Mike Elias said Kjerstad had earned the right for a larger role. Now there is little choice but to have him play an important one.

“It gives other guys opportunities,” Hyde said. “It’s not going to be our last injury we have this season. We’re going to have other things pop up and it’s why you create depth. It gives other guys opportunities, but it’s a blow, because Colton’s a really good player.”

In addition to Cowser’s injury, Hyde said infielder Jordan Westburg is dealing with some minor “things” and was banged-up, which is why Westburg was absent from Sunday’s lineup. Westburg returns Monday.

Right-hander Albert Suárez, who landed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right shoulder inflammation, first began feeling shoulder discomfort at the end of spring. Hyde said Suárez had a difficult time loosening up and Suárez’s velocity was down in his first appearance of the season. He’ll receive treatment and Hyde hopes Suárez won’t miss much time.