Hyde on Mayo: “I think it’s actually a positive experience that he had up here"

Jackson Holliday played in 10 games in his first stop in the majors before the Orioles sent him down. Coby Mayo made it to seven.

They hit .059, with Holliday going 2-for-34 and Mayo 1-for-17. The Orioles want to see other similarities.

Holliday was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, hit a grand slam in his first game and homered five times in 10. He strung together three consecutive multi-hit games. The at-bats and the confidence were improved.

Now it’s Mayo’s turn after the Orioles optioned him early this afternoon and recalled infielder Liván Soto, who was batting .355/.412/.581 (11-for-31) in nine games.

Young prospects who return to the minors take with them valuable information and experience, Holliday, Colton Cowser and Grayson Rodriguez just a few of the examples.

“I think it’s actually a positive experience that he had up here,” manager Brandon Hyde said of Mayo. “When you go back down, now you understand what the speed of the game is up here. The importance of certain things. Just what major league pitching looks like. I think Coby’s going to be better for it, just like Cowser was, just like Grayson was. Jackson earlier this year.

“He’s really tight with (first baseman) Anthony Rizzo, who I’m close with obviously. This happened to Anthony, too. Anthony broke in with San Diego and then went down, and when he came back up with the Cubs, he never looked back. This is a part of being a young player and now he knows what it’s like up here.”

Mayo finally collected his first major league hit last night in the fifth inning to snap an 0-for-16 streak, and he later walked and scored his second run. The Orioles weren’t delaying his demotion until it happened, but the timing actually worked out nicely.

“I was hoping,” Hyde said. “We were discussing certain things, but if we were optioning him down, I was hoping that he was going to get a hit last night.”

The Red Sox are starting at least three right-handers in the series at Camden Yards, with Friday still listed as TBD. Soto is a left-handed hitter, but Hyde downplayed that reasoning.

“Not really,” he said. “Adding Soto adds more defensive flexibility for us. So a guy that can play three spots in the infield, run. If I need to give Gunnar (Henderson) a day off or Jackson or whoever, if I pinch-run for (Ramón) Urías, or whatever it may be, it just adds some more flexibility for us, a guy that can play three spots in the infield without having a true utility guy on the team.

“Urías hasn’t played much second base the last couple years. I’ll put him over there, but to have somebody that can be able to play all three spots we felt like was important, also.”

Holliday tweaked his batting stance during his return to Norfolk. For Mayo, it’s more about countering the way opposing teams attacked him.

“It’s such a quick sample,” Hyde said. “I think it was more of just seeing what major league pitching was like and understanding how they pitched to him. You saw a lot of sliders, a lot of changeups, last night from the lefty down and away. Anybody that’s 6-6 and athletic and big and strong and has the power that he has – he’s going to hit a lot of home runs in this league – people are going to go soft away, hard up and in. And until you’re able to make that adjustment back, that’s all you’re going to see. And so, now he knows that and it’s OK.”

The speed of the game at third base is another adjustment for Mayo while moving up a level. He charged a ball last night and was able to record the out, perhaps his most impressive play in his brief stint.

“If you ask most young, especially infielders, it’s totally different to play defense in the big leagues in the infield,” Hyde said. “All those experiences I think are great to go back down, and now Coby knows what it is up here.”

Mayo isn't expected to stay with Norfolk through the conclusion of the Triple-A season on Sept. 22. And the Orioles think they'll get a better version of him.

"I think Coby's a great player," Cowser said. "He's a really good kid, really mature. I think it's baseball. Different environment, coming up in a divisional race, trying to make a push for the playoffs. No matter how much people say it's the same game, it's not between Triple-A and here. But it gets to the point where it does start to feel the same, and that can take a little bit of time."

* Double-A Bowie right-hander Zach Peek, on the 60-day injured list since May 4, has reported to Single-A Delmarva to begin his injury rehab assignment.

* Due to the Ravens' preseason game at noon Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium and the Orioles' first pitch at 7:05 p.m., fans are encouraged to arrive at Camden Yards after gates or lots open.

Lots open at 4 p.m. and gates at 5 p.m.

The Orioles ask that fans remain patient with high congestion in the area, and they're encouraged to review the "Know Before You Go" for helpful information.

For the Red Sox

Jarren Duran CF
Wilyer Abreu RF
Rob Refsnyder LF
Rafael Devers 3B
Connor Wong C
Masataka Yoshida DH
Dominic Smith 1B
Ceddanne Rafaela SS
David Hamilton 2B

Nick Pivetta RHP