If the Baltimore Orioles are to surpass the New York Yankees and secure their second straight American League East title, they’ll have to do so without veteran infielder Jorge Mateo. Mateo, who had been sidelined since July 23 due to an elbow injury from a collision with a teammate, recently underwent season-ending surgery to install an internal brace and repair the flexor tendon in his non-throwing arm.
Mateo, 29, was enjoying the best offensive season of his MLB career, hitting .229/.267/.401 (91 OPS+) with five home runs and 13 stolen bases (out of 15 attempts) in 68 games before the injury. His performance had been valued at 0.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Since Mateo’s injury, the Orioles have primarily relied on young Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, at second base. Holliday has shown improvement since returning to the majors, though his numbers haven’t fully met the high expectations tied to his name: in 26 games, he’s hit .211/.268/.422 with five home runs.
The Orioles enter Thursday with a 77-57 record, trailing the Yankees by one game in the AL East race. After finishing a potential World Series preview against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Baltimore will face a series of non-contenders—the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles also have the advantage of three more games against the Yankees in New York during the final week of the season.
Baltimore holds a 6-4 lead in head-to-head matchups with the Yankees. With MLB’s new postseason format eliminating tiebreaker games, the winner of the head-to-head series has an inherent advantage in the event of a tie.
If the Baltimore Orioles are to surpass the New York Yankees and secure their second straight American League East title, they’ll have to do so without veteran infielder Jorge Mateo. Mateo, who had been sidelined since July 23 due to an elbow injury from a collision with a teammate, recently underwent season-ending surgery to install an internal brace and repair the flexor tendon in his non-throwing arm.
Mateo, 29, was enjoying the best offensive season of his MLB career, hitting .229/.267/.401 (91 OPS+) with five home runs and 13 stolen bases (out of 15 attempts) in 68 games before the injury. His performance had been valued at 0.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Since Mateo’s injury, the Orioles have primarily relied on young Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, at second base. Holliday has shown improvement since returning to the majors, though his numbers haven’t fully met the high expectations tied to his name: in 26 games, he’s hit .211/.268/.422 with five home runs.
The Orioles enter Thursday with a 77-57 record, trailing the Yankees by one game in the AL East race. After finishing a potential World Series preview against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Baltimore will face a series of non-contenders—the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles also have the advantage of three more games against the Yankees in New York during the final week of the season.
Baltimore holds a 6-4 lead in head-to-head matchups with the Yankees. With MLB’s new postseason format eliminating tiebreaker games, the winner of the head-to-head series has an inherent advantage in the event of a tie.
If the Baltimore Orioles are to surpass the New York Yankees and secure their second straight American League East title, they’ll have to do so without veteran infielder Jorge Mateo. Mateo, who had been sidelined since July 23 due to an elbow injury from a collision with a teammate, recently underwent season-ending surgery to install an internal brace and repair the flexor tendon in his non-throwing arm.
Mateo, 29, was enjoying the best offensive season of his MLB career, hitting .229/.267/.401 (91 OPS+) with five home runs and 13 stolen bases (out of 15 attempts) in 68 games before the injury. His performance had been valued at 0.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Since Mateo’s injury, the Orioles have primarily relied on young Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, at second base. Holliday has shown improvement since returning to the majors, though his numbers haven’t fully met the high expectations tied to his name: in 26 games, he’s hit .211/.268/.422 with five home runs.
The Orioles enter Thursday with a 77-57 record, trailing the Yankees by one game in the AL East race. After finishing a potential World Series preview against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Baltimore will face a series of non-contenders—the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles also have the advantage of three more games against the Yankees in New York during the final week of the season.
Baltimore holds a 6-4 lead in head-to-head matchups with the Yankees. With MLB’s new postseason format eliminating tiebreaker games, the winner of the head-to-head series has an inherent advantage in the event of a tie.
If the Baltimore Orioles are to surpass the New York Yankees and secure their second straight American League East title, they’ll have to do so without veteran infielder Jorge Mateo. Mateo, who had been sidelined since July 23 due to an elbow injury from a collision with a teammate, recently underwent season-ending surgery to install an internal brace and repair the flexor tendon in his non-throwing arm.
Mateo, 29, was enjoying the best offensive season of his MLB career, hitting .229/.267/.401 (91 OPS+) with five home runs and 13 stolen bases (out of 15 attempts) in 68 games before the injury. His performance had been valued at 0.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Since Mateo’s injury, the Orioles have primarily relied on young Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, at second base. Holliday has shown improvement since returning to the majors, though his numbers haven’t fully met the high expectations tied to his name: in 26 games, he’s hit .211/.268/.422 with five home runs.
The Orioles enter Thursday with a 77-57 record, trailing the Yankees by one game in the AL East race. After finishing a potential World Series preview against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Baltimore will face a series of non-contenders—the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles also have the advantage of three more games against the Yankees in New York during the final week of the season.
Baltimore holds a 6-4 lead in head-to-head matchups with the Yankees. With MLB’s new postseason format eliminating tiebreaker games, the winner of the head-to-head series has an inherent advantage in the event of a tie.
