![\"Jorge](\"https:\/\/cdn.mlbtraderumors.com\/files\/2025\/07\/Jorge_Mateo_Orioles-copy-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOrioles infielder\/outfielder Jorge Mateo won\u2019t be back soon.<\/p>\n
Interim manager Tony Mansolino relayed to reporters today, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, that Mateo has a hamstring strain and will miss 8 to 12 weeks.<\/p>\n
Mateo is already on the 10-day injured list, due to a different injury, but will be moved to the 60-day version whenever the club needs his roster spot.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mateo hit the injured list June 10th due to left elbow inflammation. He had recently been on a rehab assignment but departed last night\u2019s game due to the hamstring injury.<\/p>\n
It now appears that the injury is serious enough to put his season in jeopardy. Given that timeline, it seems he won\u2019t be back until September, even in a best-case scenario.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an unfortunate blow for Mateo and the Orioles.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t having a great season at the plate even prior to the injuries, with a .180\/.231\/.279 line in 65 plate appearances.<\/p>\n
But he was still able to bounce around to multiple positions while stealing bases.<\/p>\n
He has been doing that for the Orioles for years, though often with more passable work at the plate. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .221\/.267\/.371 for a 78 wRC+.<\/p>\n
That was still subpar offense but he was able to produce 4.1 wins above replacement, in the eyes of FanGraphs, in a span of 334 games thanks to his speed and defense.<\/p>\n
The O\u2019s are 37-47 and seven games back of a playoff spot. Getting Mateo back to that pre-2025 form could have been a boost to the club but that won\u2019t happen now.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s an impending free agent, though with a club option for 2026 on his deal, which would have made him a trade candidate if the club were selling.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s off the table now as well. Players on the IL can be traded but Mateo won\u2019t have any value on account of his status, his performance earlier this year, and his $3.55MM salary.<\/p>\n
On a personal level, it\u2019s obviously less than ideal for Mateo to go into free agency with this kind of platform. His numbers have been poor so far and it seems he\u2019ll get little time to improve them, maybe even none at all.<\/p>\n
Despite his tepid offense, the O\u2019s have liked his other contributions enough to continually tender him contracts. He made $2.7MM last year and is making $3.55MM this year.<\/p>\n
They even negotiated a $5.5MM club option for 2026 into his deal to potentially gain an extra year of club control. But they won\u2019t be picking that up now and he\u2019ll head into free agency on a down note.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Orioles infielder\/outfielder Jorge Mateo won\u2019t be back soon. Interim manager Tony Mansolino relayed to reporters today, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, that Mateo has a hamstring strain… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":65510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n