Mateo makes his return, Eflin throws 84 pitches, Baker and Bowman battle for bullpen spot and more (O's lose 12-1)

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo felt great physically. He was better emotionally.

Mateo finally made it back into the lineup this afternoon after undergoing reconstructive-elbow surgery on Aug. 29. A meaningless exhibition game was ultra-important to him. He needed it.

“It was amazing,” he said. “I was so excited. Just to be there on the field with my teammates, that was unbelievable to me.”

Mateo saw one pitch in the second inning and bounced to third baseman Edmundo Sosa. He struck out on three pitches in the fourth.

In the field, Mateo handled every ball hit his way and had back-to-back assists in the fourth. He started a 6-4-3 double play to end the first inning and covered the bag for a force in the fifth, throwing late on an attempted DP.

Luis Vázquez replaced Mateo at shortstop in the top of the sixth. The debut was done. The pain from his collision with Gunnar Henderson in July while pursuing a ground ball was nothing compared to his separation from the Orioles and the work required to come back.

“I was hurt, seeing my team and what’s going on in the playoffs and everything. That hurt a lot,” he said. “Now we’re here, we have a new year, let’s go for it all.”

Mateo has set Opening Day as his goal, which might conflict with the Orioles’ plans for him. He wants to be in Toronto on March 27.

“I hope so, I hope so,” he said. “That’s the key right now. Let’s see how I feel this next week and the week after that.”

Mateo said he just needs to “get comfortable” with his elbow and feel like he can dive and slide without trepidation. He hasn’t practiced it. Those plays will happen organically.

“I don’t work on it yet,” he said, “but that’s coming.”

* Zach Eflin this afternoon made his penultimate start before Opening Day and was extended to 84 pitches. He was charged with three earned runs and five total with six hits, two walks and four strikeouts in four innings.

The first two batters reached against Eflin in the first, but Max Kepler struck out and Sosa hit into the double play. The Phillies were retired in order on 13 pitches in the second, but Jordan Westburg committed a throwing error at third base in the third inning to start a rally that continued with Óscar Mercado’s stolen base, Johan Rojas’ sharp single to left and Trea Turner’s soft RBI single into right.

Bryson Stott walked to load the bases with no outs and get the bullpen busy. Christian Arroyo batted for Max Kepler, who left the game after slamming into the fence while chasing Ryan Mountcastle’s fly ball in the first, and he struck out on three pitches. Nate Webb replaced Eflin after the veteran right-hander threw 49 pitches, 31 for strikes – my unofficial count - and Sosa greeted him with a three-run double.

Webb was charged with two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Spring training rules allow for re-entry, and Eflin tossed a scoreless fourth after Rojas’ leadoff single. Sosa began the fifth with a single, the Phillies hit into two force plays, and they led 7-1 after Rafael Marchán singled and Cedric Mullins committed a fielding error.

* Bryan Baker tossed a scoreless sixth inning but it wasn’t clean. He allowed two singles and walked a batter, but right fielder Vance Honeycutt threw out Rojas at the plate.

Baker retired the first nine batters he faced this spring, surrendered three home runs against the Twins – the wind aided at least one of them – and allowed a run against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

Has he done enough to make the club, with no minor league options?

“Yeah, I think so,” he replied. “It’s really just try to get better every day, starting with this offseason, really, and I think I put myself in a good spot. Just trying to help this team win any way I can.”

Baker describes his spring as good overall, but also “weird.” He’s throwing harder and his stuff is better. The changeup could become a weapon again for him with the new grip.

“My miss is right down the middle instead of, like, getting into bad counts, a bunch of balls,” he said. “It’s a good problem to have overall. It’s a lot different. That’s the life of a pitcher. You’re always making adjustments. The stuff is great. I love that I’m throwing strikes.

“I feel like I’m in a good spot overall.”

Matt Bowman is a non-roster invitee and he tossed another scoreless inning today with a strikeout and hit batter. He’s allowed only two earned runs (three total) in 6 2/3 innings, with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

The decision on Andrew Kittredge’s replacement could come down to Baker or Bowman unless Albert Suárez moves to the rotation and Cade Povich is optioned. That would make room for both of them.

* Ramón Laureano led off the second inning with his first home run. … Westburg led off the first with a double on a fly ball that center fielder Brandon Marsh tracked before falling down. …The wind also caused a popup near the first base line to fall untouched in foul territory. … Adley Rutschman singled in the third for his 11^th hit in 29 at-bats. …Trey Gibson allowed five runs in the eighth.

* Over in Lakeland, the Orioles defeated the Tigers 7-1. Suárez allowed one run and four hits with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings, and Alex Pham tossed four scoreless innings with two hits.

Suárez isn’t backing down from the competition.

Jackson Holliday had a leadoff triple in the first inning with a 104.2 exit velocity against former Orioles pitcher Jack Flaherty and scored on Dylan Carlson’s fly ball. He singled to left field in the third and scored on Carlson’s two-run double.

Heston Kjerstad had an RBI double in the third. Colton Cowser hit a solo home run in the fifth. Carlson, who homered yesterday, singled in the fifth, Samuel Basallo walked and Livan Soto delivered an RBI single.

Holliday reached base again with a walk in the fifth.

Soto had two more hits and is batting .412 with a .974 OPS.

* The Orioles lost 12-1.

Hyde on Mateo:
"I thought he played really well defensively. I think the timing's going to be off for a while, but defensively made a lot of really nice plays and felt good coming off the field. So happy with his day ... He missed the majority of spring training, so we'll try to catch him up as fast as we can. This is kind of a first step in his progression."

Hyde on Eflin:
"I thought Eflin threw the ball good. I don't think we really helped him much. I thought he had good stuff, I thought he got kind of squeezed a couple times that prolonged innings. But I thought the stuff was good. We got him up to the right pitch count. I think he felt good about all his pitches."