Jorge Mateo injury could pave the way for Orioles to recall top prospect

On Tuesday night, Orioles second baseman Jorge Mateo suffered a gruesome elbow injury that could potentially lead to an IL stint.

Mateo and shortstop Gunnar Henderson collided while chasing a ground ball hit up the middle. Mateo's elbow got caught in a weird spot and twisted the wrong way, which looked awful on the broadcast. Mateo was visibly distraught and in pain, and was immediately removed from the game.

We won't know more about the extent of Mateo's injury until later in the week but the way it looked, one has to assume that he's going to miss some time. That would most likely lead to the Orioles recalling one of their top prospects in order to replace Mateo on the roster.

The O's have a few different options if Mateo does need a trip to the IL. The most obvious choices would seem to be one of Jackson Holliday or Connor Norby. Both Holliday and Norby have appeared in games with the Orioles in 2024 and have the capacity to handle second base.

Jorge Mateo's injury could lead to the return of Jackson Holliday to Baltimore

Unfortunately neither of the two hit well enough to stay in Baltimore for an extended period but both have been strong in Triple-A. Norby has a .908 OPS in 80 games with Norfolk, while Holliday has hit .280/.448/.500 despite a rough start and an elbow injury.

The pair's ability to play second base would allow Brandon Hyde to keep a modicum of stability in the lineup by leaving Jordan Westburg to fully develop as a third baseman. Norby has played a touch of outfield in Norfolk but Holliday's future is as a middle infielder.

If the Orioles want to consider an outside the box solution, they do have Coby Mayo absolutely destroying Triple-A hitters in Norfolk. Mayo isn't on the 40-man roster though, so they'd have to make room for him by either trading or DFA'ing an existing player.

Just based on merit, Mayo might make the most sense. He's now up to .297/.376/.591 with 19 homers and strong plate discipline. Maybe more than anyone else on the Tides' roster, Mayo looks ready to hit major league pitching right now.

If they were to go that route, they'd likely shift Westburg to second base and open a spot for Mayo to play third. Mayo has come up through the Orioles system as a third baseman but has played a bit more at first base in 2024 in an attempt to open up more options for the big league club.

Thankfully there isn't necessarily a bad choice here. If Mateo does need time off, Mike Elias will have to make a decision but with so many good options, the Orioles are in a much better spot than most teams would be in a scenario like this.