The Orioles are moving Chayce McDermott from the taxi squad to Wednesday night starter in Miami, and they also are summoning infielder Connor Norby as a possible recall from Triple-A Norfolk.
Manager Brandon Hyde told the assembled media that McDermott would make his major league debut Wednesday as the new fifth starter. That seemed to be the plan all along. The spot was listed as TBA and there was no other reason to fly McDermott to South Florida.
What happened to Jorge Mateo was unexpected and led to Norby’s trip to Miami.
According to an industry source, Norby is joining the Orioles in case Mateo goes on the injured list after his collision tonight with shortstop Gunnar Henderson a ground ball up the middle in the third inning.
Mateo’s left arm bend backward at the elbow, a gruesome image captured on MASN. He was in obvious pain as he laid on the ground and eventually came out of a game that the Orioles lost 6-3.
The team’s first update was that Mateo exited with left elbow pain. Hyde told the media later that X-rays were negative and Mateo would undergo further testing, with his status day-to-day.
Norby has been called up twice this season, once on the 24-hour taxi squad on June 29 in case Jordan Westburg or Austin Hays went on the injured list. They avoided it and Norby was returned to Norfolk.
The Tides were rained out tonight, but Norby is hopping on a plane.
The organization’s No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-14 with a home run in his first stint. He’s batting .297/.389/.519 with 21 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 57 RBIs in 80 games with Norfolk.
Norby is on a full 40-man roster, so a corresponding move wouldn’t be necessary.
Other alternatives if Mateo went on the IL included Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday.
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