Sources: Coby Mayo joining Orioles in Cleveland

When Coby Mayo came out of Triple-A Norfolk’s game tonight in Charlotte in the bottom of the eighth inning, it wasn’t just to empty the Tides’ bench in an 18-10 win.

Mayo is joining the Orioles in Cleveland, according to two industry sources.

The trade deadline passed and the Orioles made the call to Mayo, the No. 3 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline and the 15^th in baseball.

Their infield has undergone drastic changes with Jorge Mateo and Jordan Westburg set for lengthy stays on the injured list with a dislocated left elbow and fractured right hand, respectively. Westburg, an All-Star, was hit by a pitch Wednesday.

Mayo is ready for the opportunity, with no reason to stay in the minors beyond padding statistics. He went 4-for-6 tonight and is batting .301 with 22 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .961 OPS.

The fourth-round draft pick in 2020 played third base tonight but has moved across the diamond to first. He’s also an option as the designated hitter.

Westburg’s injury makes third base a logical landing spot. Ramón Urías got the start tonight.

The club wanted to create more balance by adding right-handed bats, and the trade deadline brought Eloy Jiménez and Austin Slater.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said again Wednesday that Mayo was "in the mix" and that "there’s still avenues for Coby Mayo here in the near future."

The 40-man roster is down to 39 players, but a corresponding move is pending on the active roster. The Orioles recalled infielder Livan Soto today to replace Westburg and is one possibility, unless there's an injury that's gone unreported. Urías can resume his duties in a utility role.

Jackson Holliday, who created huge news Wednesday with his return and hit his first major league home run, a grand slam onto Eutaw Street, was struck on the left hand by a pitch tonight but stayed in the game.

The trade deadline removed Connor Norby, the system's No. 5 prospect who was traded with outfielder Kyle Stowers to the Marlins for left-hander Trevor Rogers, but the Orioles aren't short on infield talent.

“You never have enough," manager Brandon Hyde said earlier today when asked about depth and the perception of a logjam. "You can never have enough pitching, you can never have enough players. That’s why you talk about sending guys down and ‘when is this guy going to come up?,’ all that stuff, you go with the best roster you can that day. There’s a lot of factors that come into play and things can change in a heartbeat.”

That quickly.

When Hyde was asked about Mayo again today, he replied, "I'm sure you'll see Coby here at some point."

That point will be Friday afternoon at Progressive Field.