Coby Mayo's demotion signals positive news about these two Orioles infielders

Editor's note -- The Orioles have recalled both Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Tigers

On Saturday morning, the Orioles announced that they had optioned infielder Coby Mayo back to Triple-A Norfolk. Mayo has struggled in both of his stints in the major leagues this year, hitting just .098 with no extra base hits and a strikeout rate approaching 50%.

For the time being, the Orioles selected the contract of outfielder Daniel Johnson, who joined the team in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Johnson appeared as a pinch runner and scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the 9th last night, but also grounded out to end the game in the bottom of the 10th.

Johnson probably won't be an impact player in Baltimore in the season's final week but that might not be a big deal. Mayo's demotion could be a signal that the Orioles feel confident in both Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias, both of whom are currently at Triple-A Norfolk on rehab stints.

With Coby Mayo headed back to Triple-A, the Orioles must feel confident in both Jordan Westburg's and Ramon Urias' injury statuses

Westburg in particular has looked great with the Tides, hitting for average and power, getting on base, and playing strong defense. With the Triple-A season set to end on Sunday, it's possible that the Orioles plan on bringing Westburg and Urias back to the majors prior to Tuesday's matchup against the Yankees.

Getting Westburg back ahead of the postseason would be a big win for an Orioles offense that has been struggling since the All Star break. Part of that has been Mayo's inability to launch, but Jackson Holliday also hasn't been as good as many expected him to be, at least for now.

Prior to going down with a broken hand in late July, Westburg had posted an impressive .269/.317/.497 line with 18 homers and 6 steals that earned him his first career All Star appearance. In the two months since he sustained his injury, Orioles' third basemen have combined to hit .217/.300/.383, while second basemen have hit just .199/.259/.327.

Needless to say that the offense has struggled to replace Westburg's production at his two primary positions. Getting him back in time for the postseason would go a long way toward lengthening the lineup and allowing the O's to get back on track offensively.

Urias might not have the same impact as Westburg at the plate but he's still been a valuable contributor during his time in Baltimore. Urias had been riding a career-best .252/.327/.427 line in 93 games, though the advanced metrics don't love his defense.

Regardless, it'll be a step in the right direction for the Orioles to get these two valuable pieces back. Orioles fans should hope to see both Westburg and Urias back in an O's uniform before the start of next week's series with the Yankees.