Sidelined indefinitely with a dislocated left elbow suffered in Tuesday’s loss in Miami, Orioles infielder Jorge Mateo was officially placed on the 10-day injured list with infielder Connor Norby being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.
Baltimore also optioned right-handed pitcher Chayce McDermott — who made his major league debut Wednesday night — back to the Tides and recalled right-hander Bryan Baker to add another arm to the bullpen for the time being.
Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters in Miami that Norby — who was in the lineup at second base in the series finale against the Marlins — would receive regular playing time at second base, but a prolonged absence for Mateo only reinforces what many had anticipated anyway about the infield picture evolving down the stretch. Of course, what happens by Tuesday’s trade deadline could go a long way in determining that look with general manager Mike Elias expected to be active trying to make enhancements to a first-place club.
The 24-year-old Norby made his major league debut in early June — going 3-for-14 with a home run over four starts — and is the Orioles’ No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com. Of course, plenty of interested eyes remain on baseball’s top overall prospect Jackson Holliday and No. 3 Baltimore prospect Coby Mayo for their anticipated promotions from the Triple-A level.
In 375 plate appearances for the Tides this season, Norby batted .297 with 16 homers, 21 doubles, one triple, 57 runs batted in, 13 stolen bases, and an .842 on-base plus slugging percentage. Whether trying to carve out a permanent spot on the roster or unknowingly auditioning for potential trade partners, Norby will hope to provide a spark to the scuffling Orioles, who entered Thursday having lost three straight games and gone 11-16 since an exciting series win at Yankee Stadium last month.
It’s been an unfortunate summer for Mateo after his strong start to 2024 eased what could have been a potential void at second base with the 20-year-old Holliday struggling in April and being sent back to the minors. Since a freak accident in the on-deck circle landed him on the concussion list in early June, Mateo had batted .205 with a .558 on-base percentage over his last 80 plate appearances, a sharp decline from the .741 OPS he produced over his first 128 plate appearances of the season.
