Coby

Mayo

First Mayo wasn’t hitting and then he wasn’t playing. Now he’s been sent down as expected. Mayo is technically still eligible for the playoff roster, though it would be a surprise if he’s included at this point. Baltimore selected the contract of Daniel Johnson to replace Mayo.

Ramon Urias is expected to come off the injured list. Mayo was on the bench for the Orioles’ last two games. He was 4-for-41 (.098) with no home runs and no RBI with Baltimore.

Mayo started consecutive games at third base Monday and Tuesday, but the Orioles lifted him after six innings for defensive purposes Tuesday and didn’t use him at all Wednesday. It’s again Emmanuel Rivera starting at third base tonight.

It’s funny now to think about how the Orioles talked about Mayo being a second-half contributor before they knew that Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías were all going to get hurt. The reality is that they have Nick Maton playing over him at the moment. He hasn’t even had a chance to fail offensively, given that his two major league stints have produced a total of 28 plate appearances. The Orioles just seem to have no confidence in him as a third baseman.

Mayo will again be on the bench with Emmanuel Rivera starting at third base and hitting ninth against Nick Nastrini and the White Sox. Mayo is going to just be a bench option for the Orioles for the remainder of 2024, it appears.

Emmanuel Rivera is starting at third base and hitting ninth against Chris Flexen and the woeful Chicago staff. Mayo is one of the top hitting prospects in baseball, but his playing time is likely to be inconsistent at best, even with the Orioles dealing with a host of injuries.

Mayo officially gets the call, and while he may have gotten it regardless, the ankle injury to Ramon Urías cemented it. The 22-year-old is one of the top hitting prospects in the sport, and while he struggled in his small sample with the Orioles this summer, there’s big-time offensive upside in his right-handed bat.

Mayo went 0-for-15 with 10 strikeouts earlier this month in his first taste of the majors, but will get another opportunity with Baltimore later this weekend once rosters expand. The 22-year-old top prospect has posted sublime numbers at the Triple-A level, but it might take him some time to find his footing at the highest level. How he fares over the final month will determine how much optimism there is from fantasy managers heading into 2025 drafts.

Of course Mayo turns in a multi-hit performance in his first contest back at Triple-A following last week’s demotion. The 22-year-old top prospect went 0-for-15 with 10 strikeouts in his first exposure to the majors earlier this month, which likely means he’s going to remain stationed in the minors for at least the next few weeks before Baltimore considers him for a late-season promotion.

The Orioles simply don’t have, or don’t feel they have, the time to wait around while their top prospect struggles to adjust at the major league level. Mayo struggled mightily in his first taste of the big leagues, going 0-for-15 with 10 strikeouts. The Orioles will now send him back to Triple-A where he was hitting .308/.384/.619 with 23 homers, 67 RBI, four steals, and an 88/36 K/BB ratio over 357 plate appearances. The good news for the team is he will now retain rookie eligibility for 2025 and could be a contender for the AL Rookie of the Year, which would award the Orioles a bonus draft pick. Livan Soto was called up in a corresponding move.