Reviewing Orioles' latest roster moves and Mayo's shift across the Norfolk infield

The Orioles close out their road trip this afternoon in Miami, trying to avoid being swept by a team with the worst record in the National League, and get ready for another reunion with Manny Machado, whose only previous return to Camden Yards happened in 2019.

Their roster was adjusted again yesterday but didn’t involve a trade. Chayce McDermott had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, reliever Bryan Baker was optioned and pitcher Jonathan Heasley was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster. The move with Baker was made late Tuesday night.

Right shoulder inflammation prevented Heasley from pitching since June 11, when he started against Memphis and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He surrendered six runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 in his previous start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he was really good in May with 16 scoreless innings with the Tides.

Heasley also made one appearance with the Orioles that month and allowed four runs in one inning against the White Sox in Chicago. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday.

The injury should make it easier for Heasley to clear waivers and be outrighted if the Orioles want to hold onto him.

Baker didn’t allow a run in three of his last four appearances, tossing a scoreless inning Tuesday night, but he has a minor league option. Burch Smith also has one, but he’s logged 4 1/3 shutout innings with one hit, no walks and six strikeouts in four games with the Orioles. He fanned three Tuesday in 1 2/3 innings against his former team.

If you didn’t think Burch Smith would be a keeper, well, so far he is.

The bullpen underwent another change and it also didn’t touch Vinny Nittoli.

The Orioles reached agreement with Nittoli on a minor league deal July 2 after the Cubs had signed the veteran reliever and designated him for assignment the following day. Another one of those transactions that fans and media acknowledge and move on from at a quick pace.

Nittoli has pitched for five major league teams since 2021. He’s been employed by 10 organizations, plus the formerly independent St. Paul Saints. He’s a 33-year-old journeyman drafted in the 25^th round in 2014 who’s registered a 2.41 ERA and 1.071 WHIP in 15 career games in the majors.

Being out of minor league options can send Nittoli packing, but he gets outs. He’s done it in both of his appearances with the Orioles with two scoreless innings against the Yankees and two more Tuesday night in Miami. And he had nine days’ rest in between those games.

Rust never sleeps, and it apparently can’t find Nittoli.

The right-hander has allowed two runs in 12 innings in 2024. That’s good by any standards. It’s coming from a guy selected in a round that doesn’t exist anymore.

(The Orioles chose Grand Canyon University left-hander Brandon Bonilla with the 751^st overall selection, 10 spots after Nittoli. Bonilla didn’t sign and the Orioles chose him again two years later in the 13^th round out of Hawaii Pacific University. He never made it above Class A and was done after 2018. But I digress … )

Connor Norby flew to Miami but didn’t get back on the active roster. He was on the taxi squad again last night while the Orioles waited for more results on Jorge Mateo’s left elbow. Mateo was day-to-day like the rest of us.

That is, until postgame when manager Brandon Hyde told the assembled media that Mateo dislocated his elbow – exactly what we saw – and will “miss some time.”

For Mateo to avoid the injured list for this long after his collision with Gunnar Henderson and what it did to his arm, making it bend the wrong way like a rubber hose, was amazing to me. But X-rays didn’t reveal the entire story.

Norby is going to get a real shot here.

Mateo had no chance at being in last night’s lineup, but it also was missing Ryan Mountcastle for the second time since the break. Mountcastle was 12-for-52 (.231) this month with one double, one home run, one walk and 13 strikeouts in 13 games and 53 plate appearances.

Getting an extra left-handed bat in the lineup impacted Mountcastle. Hyde put Ryan O’Hearn at first base, Colton Cowser in left field, Cedric Mullins in center, Heston Kjerstad in right and Anthony Santander in the designated hitter role. One of them would have to sit in order for Mountcastle to start.

Meanwhile, Coby Mayo started at first base again in both ends of Norfolk’s doubleheader, the fifth lineup in a row posted with him at the other infield corner. Nick Maton played third base in both games.

I think it was more about Mayo, except for the part where Maton hit a three-run walk-off homer in Game 1.

The Orioles began last night tied with the Guardians for the best record in the American League at 60-40, and another 6-3 loss dropped them a game back. It’s been a challenge to build back momentum that was so common earlier in the season.

They’ve lost 10 of their last 15 games and are 11-16 since June 21, when they suffered a 14-11 loss to the Astros. They were swept in Houston and lost the first two against the Guardians – the first of two five-game streaks.

Third base coach Tony Mansolino recently talked about those defeats as “character builders.”

“I mean, we prefer to win but I know we went through last year and didn’t get swept over the course of the year. Then, we get in the playoffs, and we get swept,” he said.

“We won 22 straight division series and now we’ve lost our first one. I think we’d prefer to win the series, but I do think in some ways it’s a good reminder of how hard it is to win on any given day and I think it’s a good way and a good opportunity to build yourselves up and to understand what it’s going to take at the end of the year to get where we want to get to.”

Asked what the Orioles must do in the second half, Mansolino said, “I think just get back to being who we are.”

“I think just stay healthy is No. 1, and then just continue to build upon what we’ve done,” he said. “Going through this little stretch is probably going to be a good thing for us in the long run. It doesn’t feel like it right now, but I think just learn what we’re good at, learn where we need to get better, take care of our bodies, take care of our work load, continue to try to get better on the field in our pregame work, and just compete day in and day out.”

And the trade deadline that brings constant rumors about the Orioles and their search for pitching?

“We love the players that we have,” Mansolino said, “so however this thing plays out whether they bring in other players for the team or we stand pat, I feel really good about where we’re at.”

They won’t stand pat. They didn’t need this difficult stretch to convince them.