Mateo and Rogers won't be ready for Orioles Opening Day

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Opening Day roster for the Orioles isn’t going to include infielder Jorge Mateo. The fastest player in camp made a speedy exit from it.

On the first workout day, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias confirmed that Mateo is making progress but probably won’t get enough at-bats to be ready on March 27 in Toronto.

“He’s doing a hitting progression, hitting buildup,” Elias said. “He’s playing catch. Everything’s going well, but he’s likely to be held back in camp. Probably not somebody we’re going to see in Grapefruit League until very, very late in camp and that will probably put him in a position where he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but we anticipate him being a huge part of this team. He’s gonna be back in the early part of the season, hopefully not too long after Opening Day. But he’s in a very good spot.”

Mateo underwent ligament-repair surgery on his left elbow on Aug. 28 after suffering a severe dislocation in a collision with shortstop Gunnar Henderson. He could have given the team a seventh infielder and right-handed hitting backup in the outfield.

The Orioles signed Mateo to a $3.55 million contract with a $5.5 million club option for 2026 to avoid an arbitration hearing. They missed his speed and defense last summer, but he hit .229/.267/.401 in 68 games.

Today’s workout for Mateo included sprints in the Florida heat.

His removal from the roster makes it easier to carry five outfielders after the club signed Ramón Laureano to a one-year, $4 million contract. They can keep six infielders.

“Definitely haven’t made that determination, but there’s a bit of a competition for a couple spots at the end of the position player roster,” Elias said.

“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.”

Elias carried notes with him last spring to provide accurate injury updates. This year’s crop is smaller and he could recite it from memory.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers won’t compete for a starting job in camp after suffering a right kneecap subluxation – a partial dislocation – during a January workout. He made four starts with the Orioles after the deadline trade with the Marlins and posted a 7.11 ERA.

“That’s gonna put him some number of weeks behind,” Elias said. “I don’t know the exact timetable on that, but right now he’s still in the mode of recovery for that. When we start building him up exactly is still a little bit TBD, but safe to say this is going to put him materially behind schedule and I would anticipate he misses Opening Day.”

Closer Félix Bautista, who had Tommy John surgery in October 2023, should be available on Opening Day.

“Félix is doing great,” Elias said. “Medically, he’s throwing, he’s throwing bullpens, and everything is moving well right now. We are in the process of building him up for the 2025 season. Obviously, we’ve got a team with strong playoff aspirations and we want Félix to be a big part of that playoff push if we’re able to get that far. And so, we’ll be keeping an eye on his buildup in that regard. But we’re gonna take it slow.

“He’s somebody, we’ll see him in Grapefruit League but it might be a little bit later. We’re going to utilize the controlled environments on the back field, make sure he’s kind of in a good position to take the reins off when we’re ready to throw him into game action. But we’re expecting him back for the early part of the season. But in terms of Grapefruit League action, it might be a little bit on the slower side. So he’ll be doing a lot of his work on the back fields.”

Elias clarified that last part to say there’s a “very good chance” that Bautista will be ready for the first regular season game.

“It’s very possible,” Elias said, “but we’re gonna try to be smart about it with him is what I’m saying.”

Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano is absent from camp while obtaining his work visa in Tokyo. He’s expected to begin traveling to Florida as early as Friday.

Starter Zach Eflin isn’t here because his wife Lauren gave birth to a baby boy, the couple’s fourth child. They live in Bradenton.

“I’m sure he’ll be in in the next few days,” Elias said.

Asked whether the offseason work is done, Elias said, “We’re still on the phones and seeing what happens. I would probably caveat that with, we’re here, the group’s here, this is a group that we feel is ready to take into the season. And every day that ticks along in spring training, the odds of outside additions kind of tick down. But it’s always a possibility.”

The first workout included the usual bullpen sessions, beginning with the grouping of Cade Povich, Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge.

Position players aren’t due until Monday but early arrivals included Mateo, Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Cedric Mullins, Coby Mayo, Tyler O’Neill, Enrique Bradfield Jr., Terrin Vavra, Dylan Carlson, Nick Gordon and Dylan Beavers.

Outfielder Daz Cameron has a locker set up with clothing and equipment inside, but the club hasn’t confirmed that he cleared waivers. Elias said an update is coming soon.

"It's still in the process of finalizing in terms of a transaction," Elias said.