What does Jorge Mateo's injury mean for the position player battle?

Heston Kjerstad’s reputation is that of a powerful slugger from the left side of the plate.

So would you believe me if I told you that he and Jackson Holliday had the exact same career minor league batting average? Or that Kjerstad’s .387 on-base percentage was just three points below Adley Rutschman’s down on the farm? The Arkansas product has proved himself to be a well-rounded force at the plate, and an OPS close to .750 in limited action in the big leagues is a sign of better things to come. Manager Brandon Hyde and general manager Mike Elias seem to think so, too. 

“He’s put up huge Triple-A numbers, and there’s opportunity now,” Hyde told reporters down in Sarasota.

“I think he’s kind of earned the right to get a lot of at-bats in the corner outfield and in the DH spot, specifically against right-handed pitching,” added Elias. 

As Elias said, Kjerstad has earned at-bats in the big leagues. But there are only so many swings and roster spots to go around. 

The O’s 26-man roster can’t consist of more than 13 pitchers, and carrying just 12 doesn’t seem feasible. So let’s assume that there are 13 position player spots up for grabs on the major league roster. 

There are several well-established starters that are locks for the roster: Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Tyler O’Neill. That’s seven players so far. Holliday doesn’t fall under the “well established” category but will most likely be the O’s starter at second base. That’s all the position player starters. Ramón Urías, Gary Sánchez and Ryan O’Hearn should all get regular playing time as well. All of a sudden, we’re at 11 with just two spots remaining. 

One of those two spots would most likely go to a healthy Jorge Mateo. The “healthy” part is the biggest question, and we had some answers at Ed Smith Stadium. A slow ramp up “will probably put him in a position where he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but he’s gonna be back in the early part of the season,” Elias said. 

An answer leaves us with questions. 

Will the Orioles fill their final two bench spots with two outfielders? Or could another infielder find their jersey in a big league locker on Opening Day? 

It’s safe to assume that one of those spots will go to a No. 4 outfielder, of which there are three clear possibilities: Kjerstad, Ramón Laureano and Dylan Carlson. Kjerstad may be the leader in that clubhouse based on his progression.

“I don’t know that he needs to tear the cover off the ball in the Grapefruit League,” Elias said. “We’ve seen him do that already.”

As Elias mentioned, there are obvious roles that Kjerstad could fill: as a platoon option for the right-handed hitting O’Neill, and as a DH against right-handed pitching to spell Mountcastle. 

While Kjerstad may not fall under any “roster lock” categories, let’s assume that he makes the club. He also reduces our number of position player spots remaining to just one. So if you may do a drum roll while you read, let’s meet our contestants … 

Laureano had himself a nice bounceback in 2024. After posting a .669 combined OPS in 2022 and 2023 and beginning last season with a .494 OPS in Cleveland, the trajectory didn’t seem upward for the 29-year-old. However, everything changed in Atlanta. In 67 games for the Braves, Laureano hit close to .300 and slugged over .500. His .832 OPS, in a smaller sample size, was a career best dating back to a stellar season in 2019. 

Where could he fit with the 2025 Orioles? His defensive versatility could allow him to be a platoon option for either a corner outfielder or a center fielder. According to Statcast, Laureano’s arm value was in the 100th percentile in baseball. I don’t know if we’ve got any math whizzes in our midst, but it quite literally does not get better than that. His range wasn’t what it once was, but elements of his defensive game still shine. And against left-handed pitching in 2024, the right-handed Laureano hit .305 with an .869 OPS. Those numbers, my friends, will play. 

Carlson shouldn’t be lost in the outfield conversation either. If the book on Trevor Rogers is that Baltimore is hoping to find a former form, Carlson’s got a chapter. Rogers finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2021. Carlson was third. The former Cardinal does have three minor league options remaining, which could leave him on the outside looking in. 

Well, we’ve covered all the position players on the 40-man roster except for one: MLB Pipeline’s 14th ranked prospect in baseball, Coby Mayo. Mayo struggled in the bigs last year, but if you’re putting much stake into those stats, may I introduce you to Cowser. Despite massive upside, Mayo has an uphill battle to break camp with the team. Urías and O’Hearn will see playing time as backup third and first basemen. There’s still a chance, but Mayo will really have to shine for there to be a conversation. 

After breaking everything down, my bet is that the O’s will go with five outfielders to break camp, and that Kjerstad and Laureano will get the final two spots. Surely, Elias can confirm. 

“Definitely haven’t made that determination,” Elias stated at Ed Smith Stadium. “I think we have a very deep group and some different profiles there, but a number of these guys are going to be competing and there may be some health things that pop up, so I’ll wait to describe the profile of the bench when we get there.”

Rats.