Baltimore Orioles infielder Jorge Mateo of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is out for the remainder of the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season with an elbow injury that required surgery. The loss is significant to the Orioles who have playoff aspirations.
How did the injury happen?
Mateo, who was playing second base, collided with shortstop Gunnar Henderson of Montgomery, Alabama, as the players were both trying to go for a ground ball in the middle of the infield in a 6-3 Orioles loss to the Miami Marlins on July 23. Mateo injured his elbow. As a result, Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez of Higuey, Dominican Republic reached safely on an infield single. Sanchez also advanced Marlins first baseman Josh Bell of Irving, Texas to second base.
Jorge Mateo in 2024
Mateo is batting .229 with five home runs and 18 runs batted in. During 68 games, 208 plate appearances, and 192 at bats, he scored 30 runs and had 44 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 13 stolen bases, 10 walks, 77 total bases, two sacrifice bunts, three sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .267 and a slugging percentage of .401.
The sacrifice bunts came in two Orioles wins by a single run in games one week apart. The first came in a 7-6 Orioles win over the Washington Nationals on May 8 (in a game that went into 12 innings). The second came in a 3-2 Orioles win over the Toronto Blue Jays on May 15.
Spot for Jackson Holliday
With the loss of Mateo, it has opened a spot in the Orioles lineup for second baseman and Austin, Texas native Jackson Holliday, the Orioles rookie, former first overall pick in 2022, and son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday of Stillwater, Oklahoma. However in 2024, Jackson’s rookie season has not gone well. He is only batting .169 with 21 hits in 124 at bats.
Second in the American League East
The Orioles are at 77 wins and 57 losses. They are second in the American League East and one game back of the New York Yankees.
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