Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Cleared for Opening Day
Mateo (hand) took full batting practice Wednesday and should be fully cleared in advance of Friday's season opener versus Tampa Bay, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
After sitting out Monday with a side issue, Mateo was cleared to return to the lineup for the Orioles' spring finale Tuesday against the Blue Jays, only to exit early after he was struck on the right hand by a pitch. Fortunately, Mateo avoided any structural damage to his hand, and his ability to take full batting practice a day later suggests he's not experiencing too much soreness, either. Manager Brandon Hyde hasn't confirmed that Mateo will be the Orioles' Opening Day shortstop, but he certainly earned the job on the heels of his magnificent spring. The 26-year-old went 8-for-21 with six extra-base hits (two home runs, four doubles) and two walks against two strikeouts while going 1-for-2 on stolen-base attempts. That sort of power production probably won't be sustainable in the regular season, but the speedy Mateo should have the green light to run regularly for an Orioles squad that could struggle to manufacture runs.
