SARASOTA, Fla. — The Orioles missed Jorge Mateo in the second half last season. His speed, his versatility, his energy. The Orioles could’ve used all of it as they played mediocre baseball.
“Jorgie was a big loss for us last year,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
But Mateo missed playing even more.
The utilityman dislocated his left elbow in late July, had surgery to reconstruct a torn ligament in August and spent the past half year recovering. Until Sunday, when Mateo started at shortstop, his first game since he collided with Gunnar Henderson on the infield in Toronto.
“It was amazing. I was so excited,” Mateo said about playing his first game in 236 days. “To just be there out on the field with my teammates, that’s unbelievable for me.”
The 29-year-old speedster thought about finally getting to play again “every day” for the past seven months, and he let his joy show throughout the day at Ed Smith Stadium. Mateo danced pregame, looked as smooth as ever taking ground balls and even hugged an umpire before first pitch.
He said it was difficult to miss the final two months of the season, part of which he spent away from the team. The hardest part was watching the Orioles get swept by the Kansas City Royals in the postseason.
“A lot. A lot, man,” Mateo said. “I was hurt, like, seeing my team, what’s going on in the playoffs and everything, that hurt me a lot. But now we here, new year. Let’s go for it all.”
Given Mateo is returning from surgery and not a minor injury, his ramp-up process might be longer than other injured players. Still, his first game coming Sunday could mean he makes it back in time for opening day, though Hyde has said that’s “doubtful.” However, with Gunnar Henderson’s injury putting his status for the beginning of the season up in the air, Mateo could become an option to be Baltimore’s opening day shortstop.
Despite Hyde repeatedly saying Mateo will likely begin the season on the injured list, Mateo has remained confident that he’ll be healthy enough by March 27.
“I think we’re going to make it,” Mateo said last week.
Mateo went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and played clean defense during his five innings at shortstop in the Orioles’ 12-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s been able to participate fully in defensive drills for weeks, and he recently ramped up his hitting program. Perhaps the most important hurdle for Mateo is to be aggressive on the basepaths, diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt and sliding headfirst into second on a steal.
“Game shape, yeah,” Hyde said for the goal for Mateo. “He missed the majority of spring training, so going to try to catch him up as fast as we can. This is the first step in his progression game-wise.”
A complicating factor for Mateo’s roster chances is how he fits on the Orioles. Even if Henderson opens on the IL, the club still has Ramón Urías as a backup infielder, and Ramón Laureano as a right-handed bench bat and backup outfielder. Mateo doesn’t have any minor league options, meaning his inclusion on the opening day roster could cause a vexing roster crunch 10 days later once Henderson comes off the IL.
No matter how or when Mateo joins the Orioles this season, he’ll provide the same spark he always has.
“I love the energy he brings on a daily basis,” Hyde said. “We missed that last year.”
Mambo No. 5
The Orioles know who their opening day starter is, but Hyde isn’t ready to announce the rest.
“We’re still kicking around two through five right now,” he said.
Zach Eflin will start the first game on March 27 in Toronto, the 30-year-old veteran’s second time starting opening day in as many years. The three pitchers who will follow him are obvious, but the order isn’t.
Assuming they stay healthy, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano will be the Orioles’ Nos. 2-4 starters, but what order will they be in?
Morton might be the best guess to start the second game of the season. The 41-year-old veteran projects as the Orioles’ second-best starter (with Grayson Rodriguez injured to begin the season). If Eflin were to suffer an injury, Morton would be the obvious choice to start opening day.
Choosing between Sugano and Kremer at Nos. 3 and 4 is a coin flip. Kremer has been overall a league-average starter the past three seasons, while the 35-year-old Sugano has never pitched in MLB. The slight edge might go to Sugano, though, given his decorated track record as one of the best pitchers in the history of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It doesn’t hurt either that Sugano has been lights-out this spring without a run allowed in 10 1/3 innings.
The biggest question is about the No. 5 starter spot, which will come down to left-hander Cade Povich or righty Albert Suárez. Earlier this spring, Hyde listed Suárez ahead of Povich in the pecking order, though that might have been because of the former’s experience and success last season. Povich was excellent in September to end his rookie campaign and has looked similar this spring. Suárez, who can’t be optioned to Triple-A, came out of nowhere last season to be one of their most important pitchers, but he is proficient in the bullpen, where he might be needed. Because of that, Povich might be more likely to win the job.
“They both bring different things to the table for us,” Hyde said. “Albert has some relief experience, Cade throws left-handed and would be the only left-handed starter. Looking at who we play, all those types of things are going to come into play. … We’re all extremely happy about how both those guys have thrown in camp. We’re going to continue to watch ‘em and talk about it.”
Projected rotation:
- Zach Eflin
- Charlie Morton
- Tomoyuki Sugano
- Dean Kremer
- Cade Povich
Hit the road, Jack
The game at Ed Smith Stadium was a forgettable one. The Orioles tallied only six hits, with the lone run coming from a Ramón Laureano homer. Eflin gave up six hits and five runs (three earned) in four innings in his penultimate spring start.
All the fun was in Lakeland, where the Orioles traveled for the other half of their split-squad doubleheader. Baltimore took it to old friend and Detroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty, tallying six hits and five runs off the former Oriole.
Jackson Holliday tripled to lead off the game and singled to begin the third. Dylan Carlson went 2-for-2 with a double, and Heston Kjerstad also doubled off Flaherty. Colton Cowser then helped chase Flaherty by taking the right-hander deep to lead off the fifth.
Flaherty struggled with the Orioles after they acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline. He re-signed with the Tigers after winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Suárez outpitched Flaherty, allowing one run while striking out four in five innings. Prospect Alex Pham tossed four scoreless innings to finish the game.
Around the horn
• Ramón Urías said his sore left hamstring feels “much better.” Hyde said Urías will likely return to game action after the day off Wednesday. “It’s definitely not something I want to carry into the season,” Urías said.
• Hyde said third baseman Emmanuel Rivera hasn’t played since Thursday because of a sore left shoulder. The nonroster invitee who ended the 2024 season with the Orioles will be out for a few more days.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.