With third baseman Jordan Westburg considered day-to-day, the Baltimore Orioles called up infielder Nick Maton and optioned outfielder Kyle Stowers to Triple-A Norfolk. Westburg left Tuesday’s loss against the New York Yankees after colliding with outfielder Juan Soto. He was replaced by Ramón Urías in the second inning.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/6j6CQFDECH
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 19, 2024
“His hip’s pretty sore,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said after the game. “Right now, he’s day-to-day with — I think it’s like a hip contusion, but we’ll see how he feels [Wednesday].”
With Westburg unavailable, the Orioles called utilityman Nick Maton up from Triple-A Norfolk to serve as an extra infielder. In 41 games with Norfolk, Maton is batting .294/.387/.483 with seven homers, 28 RBI, and an .870 OPS.
Stowers was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Maton on the Orioles’ 26-man active roster. He slashed .286/.278/.486 with a home run and nine RBI in 17 games with the Orioles. He went 3-for-17 in June and started only four times, with Colton Cowser drawing the bulk of the left-handed at-bats.
Orioles Have Called Up Infielder Nick Maton
Nick Maton was acquired by the Orioles this offseason in a trade with the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017, Maton spent two seasons with them before being traded to Detroit last season. With 180 career games in the majors, the 27-year-old brings slightly more experience against big-league pitchers to the Orioles. Primarily an infielder, Maton has the defensive versatility to play both infield and outfield.
Since Westburg wasn’t placed on the injured list, Baltimore couldn’t recall Connor Norby since the Orioles optioned him on June 11th. Norby would have to stay down for a minimum of 10 days unless he was replacing an injured player. He was pulled from the Norfolk Tides game on Tuesday shortly after Westburg’s collision and could be placed on the 24-hour taxi squad if the Orioles want him close.
Even if Westburg is moved to the injured list, Urías would likely be ahead of Maton for an everyday role in the Orioles infield. Urías, who is 6-for-13 against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, draws the start at third base on Wednesday.
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