DJ Stewart on his call-up to the Orioles

Outfielder DJ Stewart was home starting to look back on and evaluate his Triple-A season and look ahead and help in the planning of his January wedding.

Then the plans changed for the start of his offseason. He had played his last game for Triple-A Norfolk on Sept. 3, but today Stewart got his first call-up to the Orioles. He will wear No. 62. When he gets in the game, it will be the Major League debut for a player the Orioles drafted in round of 2015 out of Florida State.

So for him, the news he was coming to the majors was not expected.

"I was very surprised," Stewart said this afternoon. "Just because the season had been done and I was home for a week. Wasn't really expecting it at all. But I'm glad to be here, glad to get that call. Late in the season R.J. (Tides manager Ron Johnson) had said my name had been mentioned and to stay ready. But after those first three or four days went by, it seemed like the season was going to be over. So just kind of started my offseason, hanging out with my family. Didn't get to see my mom until the last day, so I got to tell her in person and that was pretty cool. I was at home getting ready for the offseason."

Stewart got off to a decent start for the Tides and was hitting .271 at the end of May. But second-half struggles dropped his final numbers to .235/.329/.387 in 116 games with 24 doubles, two triples, 12 homers, 11 steals and 55 RBIs. In the second half, the 24-year-old Stewart hit .212/.283/.342.

Stewart said he had been doing a lot of thinking about his 2018 season in those first few days back home. Now's he's preparing for his major league debut. Manager Buck Showalter said Stewart will get his first major league start tomorrow against the A's.

"For me, it was a tale of two seasons," he said. "Started off relatively hot and kind of carried that into from last year in Bowie. To me, I think, this is not making excuses at all, but after I got injured a little bit (in late May) and now that I had that week to think about it, I feel like when I got back, I was kind of trying to get back to where I was hitting before I got hurt. Instead of just playing.

"Early in the season, I was just playing the game, having fun and getting hits. When I got back it was like, 'All right, you have to get back to where you were.' Kind of put too much pressure on myself, just trying to do too much. Trying to get three hits in one at-bat when no one can do that. To me, it was more of a mental thing that kind of I let snowball on me a little bit. But to have that week off, this is like a new start. See what can happen."

Stewart was on the Triple-A disabled list from May 29 to June 11 with a right hamstring injury. Now he wants to show the Orioles he can produce numbers more like did early in the year for Norfolk.

"That I can play. That is the biggest thing," he said. "I think everyone that hasn't see me play, they see the statistics and stuff like that. When you watch me play, I think they'll enjoy what I can bring to the team and how I go about the game and how I can play."

Yes, Stewart said, you could call this an audition for 2019. But, he added, isn't that always true?

"For me, every time you step on the field it's an audition," he said. "Want to show everyone your abilities, how much you can play, and what you can and can't do. To me, to have this opportunity this year instead of next year, I think it will do me a lot. Just to watch, learn, learn from the guys around me. This guy right here (points to Cedric Mullins locker), he's pretty good, too. I've been watching him and seeing how he is going about the game. Pretty much played my entire minor league career with him. Just seeing him and learning from guys like Adam (Jones). It's huge for me to be here this year to learn a lot."

Stewart was asked to explain what he meant about the stats not showing all he can do.

"I think it doesn't show that I'm a better defender than a lot of people think," he said. "I can run the bases really well. I know I'm a bigger guy, but I can move. It doesn't show that I'm in there grinding every single at-bat. Going to make the pitcher work every single time. Yeah, I might swing at a few bad pitches, but I'll also try to make the adjustment each pitch instead of taking the entire at-bat to process that. I think once you see my entire game together, it gives you a little more of an idea who I am."