Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Option to play some center field
Rotowire
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that Mateo is an option to play some center field while Cedric Mullins (groin) is out, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Mateo's defense at shortstop is his best asset right now as he struggles at the plate, so it seems doubtful he'd be used on a regular basis in center field. He does have past experience at the position, although he hasn't played there since 2021.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Swipes 15th bag
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Mateo went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Rangers.
The hit was just his third in his last eight starts, a stretch in which Mateo is batting a woeful .103 (3-for-39), but he's still managed to swipe two of his 15 bags on the season despite his infrequent presence on base. The 27-year-old's red-hot April has given way to a .111/.156/.125 May, and Mateo seems like he could lose his starting spot at shortstop at any moment, especially with Jordan Westburg continuing to light it up at Triple-A.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Steps out of lineup
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Mateo is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
Mateo has a .109/.138/.127 slash line and 30.5 percent strikeout rate through 16 games in May and will head to the bench Sunday. Joey Ortiz will take over at shortstop and bat ninth in the series finale at Toronto.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Adds steal
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Mateo missed a game with leg soreness earlier in the week, but it can't be bothering him too much if he can still be a threat on the basepaths. He's had limited opportunities to run lately with a paltry .148 on-base percentage across 15 contests in May. His hot start to the season has propped up his slash line at a respectable .252/.296/.447 through 38 games, but it's concerning to see the speedster slip back to his old ways at the plate. He's added 14 steals, six home runs, 22 RBI and 26 runs scored this season.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Mateo (leg) is back in the Orioles' lineup for Thursday's game versus the Angels, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Mateo sat out Wednesday due to some nagging leg soreness, but he's back in there for Thursday's afternoon tilt. He'll be at shortstop and bat seventh against Tyler Anderson.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Tending to leg soreness
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mateo is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Angels due to leg soreness but is expected back for Thursday's series finale, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The leg soreness is apparently something that's been nagging Mateo for a couple weeks, and it would stand to reason that the issue has been a factor in him posting a .292 OPS so far this month. With a day game on tap Thursday, it makes sense for the Orioles to rest him Wednesday rather than having him play two games in quick succession. Joey Ortiz will fill in at shortstop Wednesday.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Takes seat Wednesday
Rotowire
Mateo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.
Mateo will head to the bench Wednesday after driving in a pair of runs in Baltimore's win Tuesday. Joey Ortiz will get the start at shortstop in Mateo's stead.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Notches 13th steal
Rotowire
Mateo went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 9-5 loss to the Angels.
His walk Monday was his first time on base in his last five games. With his bat slumping, Mateo could be at risk of seeing his playing time slip. Despite an 0-for-16 skid, he's still slashing .259/.309/.473 with 13 steals, six home runs, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored through 35 contests. His defense is also strong enough to keep him in the mix at shortstop.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Sits amid slump
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Mateo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Mateo started the past five games and will head to the bench after going 1-for-18 during that stretch. The 27-year-old had a 1.062 OPS in his first 24 games of the season, but he's struggled to a .105/.128/.132 slash line through 11 contests in May. Joey Ortiz is taking over at shortstop in Sunday's series finale.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Logs steal off bench
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Mateo stole a base as a pinch runner in Sunday's 3-2 extra-innings loss to Atlanta.
Mateo ran for Anthony Santander in the 10th inning and stole second, but he was left on base. Off days have been rare for Mateo this season, and it's for good reason -- he's slashing .304/.353/.565 through 29 contests. He's added 12 steals on 14 tries, six home runs, 19 RBI and 24 runs scored through 105 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Receives rest day
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Mateo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, manager Brandon Hyde suggested after Saturday's 5-4 loss to Atlanta that Mateo was in line to get the series finale off for maintenance purposes. With Mateo on the bench Sunday, Gunnar Henderson will shift from third base to shortstop.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Gets turn in leadoff spot
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Mateo is batting leadoff and playing shortstop for the Orioles on Friday in Atlanta, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
It's the first time Mateo has ever batted leadoff for the Orioles and just the third time during his time with the club that he's batted higher than fifth. He's earned it by putting up a robust .968 OPS this season. Austin Hays has mostly batted leadoff lately versus lefties, but he's out with a finger injury.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Notches 11th steal
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Mateo went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Thursday's 13-10 win over the Royals.
Mateo had gone five games without a steal prior to Thursday. He's hit safely in nine of his last 10 contests, going 10-for-37 (.270) with three home runs and three steals in that span. For the season, the shortstop is slashing .321/.372/.595 with six homers, 11 thefts, 19 RBI and 23 runs scored through 96 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Goes yard again Sunday
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Mateo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Tigers.
Mateo provided an insurance run when he took Chasen Shreve deep in the ninth inning. During his seven-game hitting streak, Mateo has gone 8-for-25 (.320) with three long balls and two stolen bases. The shortstop is up to six homers, 10 steals, 17 RBI, 21 runs scored and an excellent .347/.395/.667 slash line through 83 plate appearances this season.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Swats fifth homer
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run during a 7-4 loss to the Tigers in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
His eighth-inning long ball off Mason Englert came when the game was well out of hand. After a 1-for-4 effort in the nightcap, Mateo has a six-game hitting streak going, but his .333 batting average (7-for-21) during that stretch has actually dragged down his slash line on the season a bit. Through 22 games, the 27-year-old boasts a .353/.403/.647 line with five homers, 10 steals, 16 RBI and 20 runs.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Notches two steals
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Mateo went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Tigers.
Mateo is one of seven players in the majors with 10 steals already on the year. He's hit safely in his last four games, going 5-for-14 with five runs scored in that span. For the season, the shortstop is slashing .361/.406/.639 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored and five doubles through 71 plate appearances. There's a chance newly-promoted prospect Joey Ortiz snags some playing time at shortstop, but it's tough to see Mateo's bat coming out of the lineup much since he's hitting well.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Gets day off Wednesday
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Mateo is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale with the Red Sox, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Mateo will get a breather after he went 2-for-7 with a solo homer, a double and three runs scored over the first two games of the series. Gunnar Henderson will take over at shortstop while Ryan O'Hearn enters the lineup at first base and bats seventh against Boston.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Swats fourth homer
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Mateo swent 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-6 loss to the Red Sox.
His fifth-inning shot was the only run the Orioles managed against Corey Kluber, with the rest of their offense coming in a futile ninth-inning comeback attempt. Mateo continues to enjoy a blistering start to 2023, and through 19 games he's slashing .351/.400/.649 with four homers, eight steals, 13 RBI and 17 runs.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Returns to starting lineup
Rotowire
Mateo (hip) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Tigers.
Mateo didn't start in either of the past two games while tending to right hip discomfort, but he was included in the initial lineup for Saturday's 5-1 win before ultimately being a late scratch. The 27-year-old took part in a pregame workout Sunday without incident and apparently checked out fine, so he now appears set to put an end to his two-game absence. Gunnar Henderson will move back to the hot corner to open up shortstop for Mateo.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Scratched from Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Mateo (hip) was a late scratch from the lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Mateo was originally scheduled to return to the lineup for the first time since leaving Wednesday's game with right hip discomfort, but the late scratch suggests that Baltimore wants to give the shortstop at least one more day of rest before return. Gunnar Henderson will start at shortstop and hit eighth against the Tigers in Mateo's absence.
