More on Mayo returning to majors, updates on Vespi and Tate

DENVER – Coby Mayo was on a flight to Denver last night when third baseman Ramón Urías sprained his right ankle. Mayo was joining the Orioles’ expanded roster, unaware that he’d do more than fill out the bench.

“Obviously, I saw what happened after the fact,” Mayo said.

He also heard plenty about it. His phone was blowing up with text messages about Urías and the opportunity that arrived as he checked into the team hotel.

Urías rolled his ankle while covering third base on Ezequiel Tover’s stolen base in the seventh inning. Urías laid on the ground, writhing in pain, and remains on crutches today.

An offense that’s scuffled for prolonged periods lost a player batting .357 with a 1.178 OPS over his last 14 games before last night. Just another unfortunate injury that tests this team’s depth and resolve.

“He was obviously doing really well and I’m bummed for him because, probably his best point of the season,” Mayo said. “But yeah, these guys probably need me to step up and I’m gonna do my best and play hard and no pressure. Just do what I can do.”

Mayo was the favorite to become the extra position player on the September roster, but he didn’t make any assumptions.

“I try not to think about those things because throughout the year you try to speculate a little bit on what’s going to happen and then something doesn’t happen, you get upset or whatever,” he said. “I just tried to do my best. I honestly didn’t even think about roster’s expanding until Buck (Britton) called me.”

Mayo was optioned after going 1-for-17 with 10 strikeouts, prior to MLB Pipeline bumping him to No. 1 on the organization’s prospect list. Mayo said he focused on “simplifying things on offense,” getting back to the basics and what worked for him in the minors.

“Good launch angles, hitting the ball hard, not trying to do too much, because I know I’m a good hitter,” he said.

Mayo also retained the drills and techniques taught by Orioles third base coach and infielder instructor Tony Mansolino, and he also kept working with Britton, Norfolk’s manager, to improve his defense.

The return to Triple-A enabled Mayo to settle again into his comfort zone. A clean slate and a clear mind.

“You go down there and you kind of can just play with less pressure on yourself and just go out there and you know you’re going to do well most of the time,” Mayo said. “I think that’s what I did. I went down there and didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself and played and went through my routines, and when I got here last night it didn’t feel like the first time. It felt like I had been here before and I’m ready.”

Mayo is replacing Urías at third base today but he also received more starts at first with Norfolk after the option.

“I think I’ve put a lot of work in throughout the year,” he said. “There’s some points where I played a lot and some points where I haven’t played as much, but I’m ready if they need me to play first.”

* Left-handed reliever Nick Vespi cleared waivers and is returning to Norfolk. The Orioles designated Vespi for assignment on Aug. 25 while claiming right-handed reliever Brooks Kriske.

The Blue Jays claimed reliever Dillon Tate, who was designated Wednesday when the Orioles claimed outfielder Forrest Wall. Wall was DFA’d this morning.