Norby on home debut and staying numb to trade talk

Jorge Mateo walked through the clubhouse yesterday with a brace on his left elbow and wearing a signed Russell Westbrook NBA jersey. Connor Norby sat on the opposite side of the room, far away but still directly tied to Mateo.

Norby has received his major league opportunities with Mateo on the seven-day concussion injured list in June and 10-day IL with the elbow dislocation. He had two different lockers set up at Camden Yards but didn’t play in a game the first time, optioned after the team finished a road trip and sent back to Triple-A Norfolk after being on the 24-hour taxi squad.

The No. 5 prospect’s first hit was a home run in Toronto on June 3. He singled and scored on June 8 at Tropicana Field and homered again Thursday as part of a two-hit day in Miami.

Five games played and none in Baltimore until Friday night against the Padres, when Norby started again at second base and batted ninth. He went 0-for-3 but appreciated the moment. It couldn’t be ruined.

Maybe his third locker is the charm.

“I saw the crowd start forming at, like, 6:20,” he said. “Juices were flowing at that point, and when I ran out there it was sold out, and you can’t want much more on your first home game other than, obviously, a win.

“(Friday) night is up there with my debut, for sure. That was cool.”

Also a little weird that it took this long when he rode the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors. Some real starts and some false starts.

“Yes, road warrior since spring training,” he said with a grin.

”I kind of joked yesterday. I was taking BP and stuff and was like, I haven’t been on this field since me and (Colton) Cowser’s draft day. I think Matt Harvey was throwing that night against Washington. So it’s been a while. A few more people in the seats and a little more excitement.”

Veterans aren’t alone in coping with the stress of a trade deadline. The Orioles traded three mid-level prospects to the Rays on Friday for starter Zach Eflin, and Norby’s name is brought up as a chip. He hits at every level but finds a logjam at second base when Mateo is healthy.

Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías also play the position, and No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday eventually will return to it. Norby, who made an outstanding sliding stop and throw yesterday and also cut down a runner at the plate, could be moved in the right deal. But he’s showing why depth is important.

“It’s part of it, right?” he said of the rumors. “It’s a business at the end of the day and it can (go) real fast. We saw (Austin) Hays. It gets really crazy at this time of the year. But we’ve got to focus just on wherever we’re at right now, and obviously, whatever happens is not in our hands. It’s above us in different ways.”

The clubhouse televisions are turned off. That’s one way to avoid the chatter. Phones can be locked away if players are unable to resist the temptation to scan social media.

“We can say that,” Norby said with a chuckle. “I’ve been playing a few more video games, so I try to do that a little bit more. I turn my notifications off so I’m not constantly scrolling. I think that helps a little bit. But we all tend to look a little too much.”

An attempt to expand Norby’s versatility has led to 59 starts in left field in the minors, including 25 this season with Norfolk. The dimensions at Camden Yards are vastly different, of course. Right-handed hitters tend to notice.

“That first ball (Friday), I wish the fences were still in,” Norby said. “A little bit far. But obviously, it’s here to attract pitching and it adds a unique feature. As a hitter, obviously, I wish they were all 250. But my game is right-center.”

Playing left field brings its own challenges. Hays was a master at it but he’s gone. Heston Kjerstad couldn’t make a catch on the warning track Friday night after struggling with his route, getting his glove on the ball but losing it and slamming into the wall.

It takes practice, which is coming with outfield instructor Anthony Sanders.

“That’s a lot of grass,” Norby said. “It’s almost like center field, pretty much. I’m sure I’ll be out there the next couple days with Sanders or a couple guys, taking some fly balls and stuff. But right now it’s just focusing on second and just playing good defense there and helping our pitchers out and helping us win games.”