Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Expected starter at shortstop
Rotowire
Mateo is hitting .217 (5-for-23) through nine Grapefruit League games.
Mateo's got two things going for him -- defense and speed, though he's yet to attempt a steal in spring training. The shortstop went 35-for-44 on the basepaths in 2022, but his .221/.267/.379 slash line didn't inspire much confidence. He opens 2023 atop the depth chart at shortstop, but a cold spell at the plate could see him slip into a short-side platoon role if Gunnar Henderson, Ramon Urias and Adam Frazier are all hitting well. Mateo should still get his looks for steals, but he's never posted an OPS higher than .670 in the majors, so he can't be counted on for a ton of category coverage.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Avoids arbitration
Rotowire
Mateo signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Orioles on Friday to avoid arbitration, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Mateo's glove established him as Baltimore's everyday shortstop last year, but his poor .221/.267/.379 slash line makes him vulnerable to losing his spot to top prospect Gunnar Henderson. Mateo has experience playing all over the field, so he'll more than likely transition into a utility role, an assignment that might allow him to maintain the fantasy value provided by his 35 steals in 2022.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Nabs 35th steal
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Mateo went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
With his third-inning pilfer, Mateo moved one ahead of teammate Cedric Mullins for the American League league in stolen bases with 35. Mateo's first full season in the majors has been a mixed bag -- he's flashed some power in addition to his speed but also been extremely streaky, leaving him with a .221/.267/.379 slash line through 524 plate appearances. The 27-year-old should get a chance to develop some consistency to go along with his tools in 2023, but it's not clear whether that chance will come at shortstop or another position as the O's try to find a defensive home for top prospect Gunnar Henderson.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Makes impact off bench
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-2 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 13-9 loss to the Red Sox.
Mateo didn't start Tuesday, but he entered the game as part of a defensive shift when Ramon Urias (knee) exited. The steal was Mateo's 34th of the year, three back of Miami's Jon Berti for the major-league lead. Mateo is 5-for-17 (.294) during his five-game hitting streak, and he's now slashing .222/.267/.386 with 13 home runs, 50 RBI, 61 runs scored, 24 doubles and seven triples through 142 contests. Mateo should close out the campaign as the Orioles' primary shortstop.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Out of Tuesday's lineup
Rotowire
Mateo is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Red Sox, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Mateo will head to the bench after starting five straight and eight of the last nine games. Gunnar Henderson starts at shortstop while Ramon Urias mans third base and Rougned Odor starts at the keystone.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Steals two bases
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-2 with two steals in Friday's 6-0 win over Houston.
Mateo swiped second and third base after singling in the sixth inning. He was also caught stealing once and has now stolen an American League-leading 33 bags in 42 attempts. The 27-year-old is slashing .220/.266/.385 with 42 extra-base hits and 57 runs this season. However, Mateo is hitting just .136 (6-for-44) over 15 games since his last multi-hit performance Sept. 3.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Picks up steal Wednesday
Rotowire
Mateo stole a base and scored a run as a pinch runner in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Tigers.
Mateo entered the game in the eighth inning after Terrin Vavra got aboard with a single. Prior to Wednesday, Mateo had hit .135 over his last 11 games without recording a steal in that span. He's up to 31 thefts in 39 tries this year while adding a .220/.267/.388 slash line, 13 home runs, 48 RBI, 57 runs scored, seven triples and 22 doubles through 135 contests. He's sat out two of the last five games amid his recent slump at the plate, but he's still likely to see most of the reps at shortstop.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Gets breather Wednesday
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Mateo isn't starting Wednesday against the Tigers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Mateo started the last three games and went 1-for-10 with a double, an RBI and two strikeouts. Gunnar Henderson will take over at shortstop and bat third.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Mateo isn't starting Saturday against the Blue Jays.
Mateo started the last five games but went just 3-for-18 with a home run, two RBI and six strikeouts. Gunnar Henderson is starting at shortstop and batting fifth Saturday.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Hits 13th home run
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Mateo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over Washington.
Mateo took a first-pitch slider from reliever Mason Thompson over the fence to left for his 13th homer on the season. It was Mateo's first in 20 games dating back to Aug. 20, a period in which he was slashing a meager .188/.221/.297 line through 68 plate appearances entering Wednesday. The 27-year-old's .222 average on the season has been tough to stomach, but with 13 long balls to go along with 30 stolen bases, he has still proven valuable in category leagues.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Takes seat Friday
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Mateo isn't starting Friday against the Red Sox, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Mateo started the last two games and went 1-for-6 with a triple, two runs, a walk and two strikeouts. Gunnar Henderson will take over at shortstop and bat fifth Friday.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Gets breather for nightcap
Rotowire
Mateo isn't starting the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Mateo started at shortstop during the first game of Monday's twin bill and went 0-for-3. He'll take a seat for the nightcap while Gunnar Henderson starts at shortstop and bats fifth.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Achieves 30-steal season
Rotowire
Mateo went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Athletics.
Mateo became the second player in the majors with 30 steals this season, swiping second base after his fifth-inning walk. While he's been caught stealing eight times, Mateo continues to offer premium speed as the American League leader in steals. He's also posted 21 doubles and six triples through 124 contests this year. The shortstop has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with two walks in his last seven games, right in line with his season numbers. The 27-year-old is slashing .228/.277/.396 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI and 53 runs scored across 443 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Takes share of AL lead in steals
Rotowire
Mateo went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Athletics.
With the steal -- his first since Aug. 23 -- Mateo joined Orioles teammate Cedric Mullins atop the American League leaderboard with 29. Both Baltimore speedsters are three back of Miami's Jon Berti for the major-league lead. Mateo hasn't had many chances to run of late since he's gone just 6-for-34 (.176) with one walk in his last 10 contests. The slump has dropped his slash line back to .229/.276/.398 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI and 53 runs scored through 123 contests. He's served primarily as the Orioles' starting shortstop this year, though Mateo may cycle out of the lineup on occasion if manager Brandon Hyde wants to see how top prospect Gunnar Henderson handles the position.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Hits two-run single
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Mateo went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in Friday's 5-2 win over Oakland.
Mateo put the final runs on the board for the Orioles, knocking in Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins on a single in the eighth inning. Prior to Friday, Mateo had gone hitless in his last two games. It was Mateo's first RBI since Aug. 23. Just one more steal would tie Mateo with his teammate Mullins for the American League lead, but the former has not swiped a bag in eight games. He is slashing .227/.274/.394 to go along with a career-high 12 home runs.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: On bench Thursday
Rotowire
Mateo isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Guardians, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Mateo is getting a breather after he hit just .087 with a double, a walk and eight strikeouts over the last eight games. Gunnar Henderson is taking over at shortstop and batting fifth.
It could be a tough start to the week with Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber on the schedule, but things ease up thereafter with Oakland coming to town. Mateo has performed like a must-start player over his past 39 games, batting .297 (41 for 138) with six homers and seven steals.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Swipes 28th base
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI in a 5-3 win Tuesday over the White Sox.
Mateo drove in a run with a single and stole second base in the seventh inning. It was his 28th stolen base of the season and first since Aug. 11. The 27-year-old has exploded in August, posting a .338/.390/.606 line with 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI in 20 contests. After striking out in 32.5 percent of his first 277 plate appearances, the shortstop has struck out in just 18.8 percent of his last 133 trips to the plate.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Stars in Williamsport
Rotowire
Mateo went 2-for-4 with a three-run double in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.
Mateo provided the pivotal play of the night in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., stepping to the plate in a 2-2 game with one out in the eighth inning and the bases juiced to deliver his 38th extra-base knock of the season. Due to his poor .283 on-base percentage, Mateo should continue to hit near the bottom of the Baltimore lineup, but his combination of power hitting and speed (27 stolen bases in 34 attempts on the season) makes him worthy of a roster spot even in most shallow leagues.
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Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Knocks three-run homer
Rotowire
Mateo went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 15-10 win over the Red Sox.
Mateo provided the Orioles' first runs of the game with his second-inning blast off Kutter Crawford. He had a hot start to August, but Mateo's now gone seven games without a multi-hit effort as it appears he's cooled off again. For the season, he's slashing .228/.278/.402 with 12 homers, 39 RBI, 50 runs scored and 27 stolen bases through 111 contests.
